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DBT: Not Just for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
DBT can transform your life and the lives of others. Anyone can use DBT—it is versatile and personable. DBT: Not Just for Borderline Personality Disorder By KAT DAWKINS You may think Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is only for those that live with borderline personality disorder. However, I am an example of a person with bipolar disorder that has benefited from this approach. What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy? Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an approach that combines cognitive and behavioral therapies together. It also incorporates other methodologies including Eastern mindfulness techniques. DBT allows the learner to build skills in areas like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Read the rest of the…
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The great, dialectical wisdom of the serenity prayer
The original serenity prayer as written by Reinhold Niebuhr goes like this: God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did,This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. The…
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DBT Skill of the Day: One Mindfully from Mindfulness Module
With our busy lives, with our worries about family, friends, money and work, it can be difficult to be fully present and to fully participate in each moment, task or interaction with others. The DBT skill “One Mindfully” helps to focus your attention on the current moment, task or interaction with other people. The details are: Let go of distractions and worries in the current moment. Focus your attention on the moment. Breathe and allow the distracting and worrying thoughts to exit your mind, like water going down a drain. Concentrate on the current moment. When you wash the dishes, just wash the dishes. Attend to the sensory feelings –…
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Teaching Mindfulness to Children
Mindfulness, which features focused awareness training, is increasing in popularity among mental health professionals. Mindfulness training emphasizes focused attention to internal and external experiences in the present moment of time, without judgment. While mindfulness interventions have been used in treatments for stress, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and addiction, researchers suggest that this type of training also can be beneficial in everyday life. Most research and writing on mindfulness training has been about adults. In this paper, the authors argue for adapting mindfulness techniques for work with children. The authors propose that training in mindfulness has the potential to enhance children’s attention and focus, and improve memory,…
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Borderline Emotional Anaphylactic Reaction: Mindfulness and Acceptance
A mere critical stinging comment can just as easily send a person suffering Borderline Personality Disorder into “emotional anaphylactic shock.” … from an insightful blog post by Sonia Neale. Here is the text of the post: Borderline Emotional Anaphylactic Reaction: Mindfulness and Acceptance By SONIA NEALE Sometimes, the smallest things in life can cause the greatest pain and physical reaction. A bee’s sting is almost invisible to the naked eye and yet can easily kill someone when they have an allergic reaction. A mere critical stinging comment can just as easily send a person suffering Borderline Personality Disorder into “emotional anaphylactic shock.” When a person has a life-threatening reaction to…
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DBT Mindfulness – The how and the what
Thanks to truerecovery.org for an excellent summary of the skill of core mindfulness from DBT: States of Mind Reasonable Mind — This is when we’re viewing things logically and rationally. We consider thing analytically, and with calm, but without necessarily factoring in how we feel about things. Emotion Mind — In this state, we view things emotionally. Our preference and desires. We tend to be more easily swayed in this state, and are more likely to reach for dysfunctional behaviors and coping mechanisms. Wise Mind — This is our goal in Mindfulness. In this state, we consider things logically and rationally, while factoring in our likes, dislikes and desires; our…