I have been through the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy program in its entirety twice. It has been the most effective therapy that I have participated in. I have also tried talk therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy} and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing).
The four modules within DBT are Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. The first time I completed the course in an intense day program for three months. The second time I participated, a year later, in an evening program for six months. Mindfulness has changed my life for the better. Learning and practicing mindfulness has been the most effective skill I received from these programs. I can apply mindfulness to anything and everything that I take part in including but not limited to conversations with others, walking, journaling, brushing my teeth, and doing the dishes. Applying this to interpersonal skills made me a better listener and speaker because I am present when engaging with people. I am not thinking of my to-do list, or what I am going to say next. I am in the conversation that is occurring, at the moment, listening and responding.
Mindfulness has also helped me with my fluctuating moods. It taught me how to live in the present. Not to be living in the regretful past or in the fear-producing future, I occasionally go back to review the DBT manual and other worksheets given to me in the program. For me, it has provided much-needed tools to keep close to handle my bipolar disorder.
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