Thursday 9 July 2015

By Olive Pate


Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the many mental disorders that continues to ail people of different ages. Patients suffer from suicidal feelings, depression, loneliness, difficulties forming stable relationships and impulsiveness. One of the most commonly used methods to treat BPO is dialectical behavior therapy in NYC. It is also used in treating substance abuse incidences, anger issues and depression.

Dialectical behavior treatment comprises of four components: skills training, individual treatment, phone coaching and consultation team. Skills training group is a group with a leader and students where they are taught how to enhance their behavioral skills. It is like a class as students are given homework to practice, weekly meetings that last up to 24 weeks.

When therapy is concentrated on one single client, it is referred to individual therapy. Its purpose is to cultivate skills and help clients foster the skills to resolve challenges in their lives. Most sessions run once a week and may be used together with other programs in the treatment component. In phone coaching clients call in to ask for guidance on how to deal with specific issues that arise in their lives.

The fourth component is therapist consultation team, although the program is more for the therapist as opposed to the clients, it helps the treatment providers stay focused motivated and competent. It is of critical importance that providers are able to draw effective treatment options for their clients. They hold meetings on a weekly basis, and group meetings comprise of individual therapists and group leaders.

In a DBT program, mindfulness, toleration of distresses, regulating emotions and interpersonal effectiveness are the skills taught to clients. They are categorized into change-oriented and acceptance oriented skills. Mindfulness and distress tolerance comprise acceptance skills. While the rest comprise change skills. While acceptance skills teach clients what to accept to do for them to reach their objectives whereas, change skills teach clients teach clients what to change. Together these skills comprise of integration of opposites which is the foundation of the dialectical treatment program.

Dialectical therapy employs a hierarchy of treatment options to address problems that clients present. Top on the priority list is the need to address life-threatening behaviors. If a client is suicidal or has non-suicidal self-injury, the therapist needs to formulate treatment targets for this behaviour before any other. Also, cases of substance abuse, depression or anger issues have their own treatment options.

The next treatment on the priority list is therapy interfering behaviours. This set of behaviour interferes with effective treatment and includes things like lateness to the session or non-collaboration. The next category of treatment addresses behaviour that interferes with the clients quality of life such as relationship problems and mental disorders which blurs their judgement and overall decision making.

Dialectic therapy is effective in relieving symptoms associated with the borderline personality disorder such as non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviour. It is also widely used in patients with cases of anger, depression and substance abuse. It aims to improve social and global functioning as well as cultivating acceptance and change-oriented skills. In the end, after gaining these vital skills, they now are able to live an almost normal life.




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