DBT

@sarvan Hi I have done DBT it was helpful for some things, I think you have to be in the right head space and the right place emotionally to give it the best chance to work. I am not really sure I understand why you were told you weren’t suited for DBT and that is ok as long as you understand why it is your business, but if you don’t maybe talking to the facilitators might be a good place to start. DBT is the sort of gold standard as I understand for the treatment of BPD and such so perhaps if possible you could try joining another group although if I were you I would find out what it was that didn’t work in this group first to make sure I avoided it if I did find another group to try. Sorry I can’t be of much help.

I have done 2 rounds of DBT @sarvan and it is something you need to be focussed and ready for. I was very reluctant to do it because I did not think I would cope - especially being in a room of strangers when I was not feeling safe within myself. It is not an easy course to take and you do need to be really focussed on not only the theory but also being able to put it into practice after each session.

Can I ask if you had a counselling session straight after the DBT session? From what I understand and from personal experience the optimal benefit comes from doing a session then talking with a counsellor/psych/pdoc afterwards. I had sessions with my pdoc directly after and it was in those sessions that I was able to discuss not only what we dealt with in the DBT session but any difficulties I had.

We also had one member who left the group as she was much the same as you - constantly triggered, crying and unable to take anything in. It was really uncomfortable for the rest of the group and the facilitator made that decision for both her and the remainder of the group. I very much hear where you are coming from but also know that sometimes we are not ready for the type of therapy we are undertaking - I myself was constantly re-traumatised by exposure therapy and then EMDR so it was for my benefit to stop. I am much better without them and have been able to move forward by concentrating on the things more present in order to cope.

One of the things about any form of therapy is we have to be able to cope with what we are engaged in so I would say do not give up on DBT (it certainly helped me) but instead work with your counsellor on how you can manage it and your emotions to get the most out of it in the future.

Thanks for replying @Zoe7 . Just for the record - there were no tears here from my end and I am very proficient at taking things in. I have been around for a long time.

Hi @sarvan

how are you?
I did a year of weekly DBT, 1 day group therapy (face-to-face, run by 2 psychologists, closed group capped at 8), 1 session with DBT psychologist, and once a month psychiatrist. I learnt lots, but it was really tough. I personally would not have coped without having face to face groups and sessions, without having direct follow ups after a difficult day, because it was very triggering and yes, it was very difficult to engage. But for me personally DBT works better than other types of therapy.
Let me know if you have other questions. You're definitely not alone.

Thanks @Former-Member. I appreciate your comments. I was left feeling a bit devo after some of the other comments above.

Maybe it was the structure of what I was doing - online for 1 and half hours a week with phone support and a weekly session. I found it really tough to engage and trust with this online system. Its a bit hard to work in a group when you cant see all group members. I just wondered if this was REAL DBT or if it was a bit of an adhock attempt at DBT.

May I ask if you self-funded this?

Thanks @Eden1919 . I dont really understand the Why. I get groups can be tough and you need to be prepared. I was in for the long haul. This is what has left me raw. Thanks for replying.

@sarvan If the group was online I can understand why it was hard to engage with maybe searching for a face to face group with more structured support might be better for you? I think maybe this group just wasn’t suited to you and that is ok everyone works differently. I wouldn’t give up on DBT yet though.

ok. Thanks @Eden1919 . That's what I wanted to know. I was under the impression DBT was more intense for support than an hour and half online

@sarvan It can be it really depends but when I did it there was a once a week group that I think went for an hour and a half and a weekly private session for an hour. A lot of it is stuff you have to practice in between but it should be guided in a way. I think either way the online doesn’t seem to be what works for you and it is all about doing what is best for your learning style so I would say look for another group.