Poor experience with DBT
I've been doing DBT therapy for 2 months now and I don't find that I improved a lot. I'm only halfway through the program but I feel discouraged. I don't feel like the skills I learned are applicable in my situations plus when I do manage to apply the skills I don't find that it helps a lot. I also know that it takes time and practice but I thought I would improve a little by now, so I'm disappointed.
Every time I bring a situation that happened to therapy, it comes down to me having to change the way I am (for example, stop dwelling on situations that may or may not happen in the future, live the present more) but how to actually do that I don't know. I find that a lot of what I'm told is very abstract.
Does anyone have any positive experience with DBT, and how long did you spend doing such therapy?
Thanks
Hey there @FrutaBomba,
I did DBT over the course of 4 months, and I found some parts to be very useless to me, but somehow, by the end of it - almost miraculously - I found that the way I thought about things had changed drastically.
I think that, no matter how little progress you feel like you've made, engaging in the material to the best of your ability can be really helpful. Even though the words on the page seem fairly meaningless, you are still absorbing a really important message. For example, DEARMAN may seem silly, but knowing that there are processes to deal with certain situations - that, in itself, can lead to unexpected results.
@Lee
I'm glad that it somehow worked for you, it's encouraging to hear that you saw a bit of a difference after 4 months.
I don't find that we see a lot of theory in my group, it's pretty pathetic what we do in the group sessions.. we go around sharing how our week went, we get some input and what we could've done differently and that's it.. It's disappointing as it is probably the only chance I have to do DBT (very difficult to get into these kinds of therapies here).
Thank you for sharing. This is very insightful. It's important to keep in mind that BPD requires long term treatment which can be very disheartening and dissuade insurance companies. Don't be too hard on yourself. I am so proud of you for putting so much effort into your wellness. I hope you reach some milestones soon. My heart goes out to you. ♡
@blitheSun94
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
I know that it's a long process :( luckily in my case I don't have to pay for therapy as it's covered by the government health care so at least it's not a financial burden.
@FrutaBomba I am so glad finances are not a hurdle for you. You're welcome. Best of luck!
Hey friend. I hope if you choose to continue DBT it gets better. I'm going to start later this month and I'll try to remember to let you know how it goes!
@Disabledfemme
I will continue with it since I don't have much sessions left. I hope it goes well for you and definitely let me know if you remember :)