The word “dialectical” is an adjective that can be used to describe the discussion of opinions and ideas—sometimes the ones we have of ourselves. The word “cognitive” describes the process of forming an understanding of something through your thoughts, experiences, and bodily senses. But when it’s time for your therapy session, what makes dialectical behavioral therapy different from cognitive behavioral therapy?
Let’s find out.
The Power of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
If you’ve ever completed treatment services with St. Gregory Recovery Center in Bayard or Des Moines, you may know all about getting the most out of cognitive behavioral therapy. But what makes CBT such an effective supplement to treatment isn’t always talked about. Simply put: it rewires your brain.
And while there aren’t any wires or nodes attached to your forehead, it can change your thoughts. The Mayo Clinic gives us a simple breakdown of how CBT works for substance use disorder (SUD):
- It helps identify the issues you struggle with. You and a certified therapist talk to understand and identify problematic thought patterns and harmful core beliefs.
- It encourages you to connect the dots. You then discuss how those patterns and beliefs may contribute to destructive behaviors, mismanaged feelings, and SUD.
- It gives you the space to change your life. You learn concrete methods for changing those beliefs to help control cravings, prevent relapse, reshape how you see the world, and manage other mental health diagnoses that you might have.
Research shows just how much CBT’s process can support you in recovery:
- It could improve your recovery outcomes if you struggle with multiple substances.
- More empirically grounded studies have shown that this therapy can improve your physical, psychological, and mental health.
- You don’t have to have any type of condition to benefit from CBT—it can simply help improve your problem-solving skills.
CBT can also make positive impacts on you if, alongside your SUD, you’re dealing with any of these mental health issues:
- Depression
- Panic, phobic, and anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Sleep, appetite, and sexual issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
What’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?
Palo Alto University explains that it’s essentially an offshoot of CBT that focuses more on reducing social and emotional friction than strictly changing behaviors.
According to Harvard University, DBT combines mindfulness with principles of behavioral and cognitive therapy to help you regulate and cope with your most intense emotions. Mindfulness isn’t new either. It’s the ability to stay present and grounded, rather than letting your thoughts or feelings carry you away.
Here’s how it works:
- It introduces mindfulness. DBT teaches you to pause and take stock of intense, insulting, degrading, or hopeless thoughts about yourself.
- It gives you the tools to reject those thoughts. The idea is that just because your brain says that you’re stupid or unlovable—or whatever that negative thought may be—doesn’t make it true.
- It shows you a different side to a tired narrative. You work to separate unhelpful thoughts from productive ones and recognize them for the distortions that they actually are. That separation can be the first and most foundational step forward for many people in recovery.
- It helps you rewrite your story. You learn to replace those defeating thoughts—that lead you nowhere in the best cases and push you to use in the worst cases—with helpful thoughts.
You can also build other skills in your DBT sessions, like:
- How to tolerate discomfort and emotional distress by learning how to distract yourself in productive ways, whether by exercising or learning a new hobby.
- How to regulate your emotions so that you can remain in control, rather than letting your feelings hijack your interactions and moods.
- How to communicate effectively, so much so that your relationships and even your self-esteem can benefit.
At the same time that DBT is helpful for managing SUD, it can help anyone with the following:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Self-injury
- Suicidal thoughts, ideation, attempts, or threats
- Depression
- PTSD
- Eating disorders
- SUD
- Poor, tense, or toxic relationships.
Which Therapy is Best For You?
Both options can help you, so don’t stress about choosing the ‘right’ one. That said, you can find a healthcare professional who can blend aspects of both therapies together. You can also try one after another.
But one important DBT aspect to understand is that it’s particularly effective for managing BPD. So if you have that diagnosis alongside your SUD, which is quite common, DBT may be more appropriate to try first.
Enter Therapy for Substance Use Disorder in Iowa
These therapies can help enrich your recovery and improve your mental health. St. Gregory Recovery Center can connect you with seasoned therapists who specialize in DBT, CBT, or a blend of both. Contact us today to learn how to get started.
