Restoring My Complexion

4 Ways DBT Training Helps Patients With Eating Disorders

20 April 2017 by Dylan Owens

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, treats patients with a blend of cognitive behavioral approaches, meditative practices, and acceptance-based strategies. Initially used to help people fight chronic suicide and self-harm, DBT is adaptable for patients who struggle with other impulsive behaviors like eating disorders. These sufferers have difficulty coping with unpleasant feelings or overwhelming emotions, which lead to binge eating. Here's why DBT can be used to help treat patients with eating disorders.

DBT places importance on understanding and working with emotions.

DBT is based on the assumption that an eating disorder is caused by an inability to regulate and manage intense emotions. Focusing on several kinds of emotions helps patients get better:

• Patients with eating disorders feel confused, threatened, and overcome with certain emotions. Others feel hollow, emotionless, or unable to connect with their emotions.
• Sufferers feel they don't have skills to cope with emotions in healing ways.
• Eating disorders become a way to cope with overwhelming and uncomfortable feelings, a way of withdrawing from discomfort.

Using DBT during recovery helps sufferers better recognize and accept these emotions.

DBT increases incentive and commitment.

Most patients begin recovery feeling unsure about changing their symptoms. With its unique balance of acceptance and change, DBT focuses on increasing the motivation to change. Patients learn how to accept themselves in a non-judgmental fashion, and meet their reality head-on with goals to change that behavior.

DBT highlights self-esteem and self-confidence

During recovery, patients receive emphasis on reinforcing positive performance. By increasing self-confidence and control, clients learn they are strong and capable of tackling many kinds of situations and experiences.

DBT teaches skills training

During the final path to recovery, DBT provides skills training so patients with eating disorders can better control their symptoms and deal with emotions.

• Awareness  Skills that focus on awareness allow patients to turn off "autopilot" and be able to focus on the present moment, even if it means observing painful thoughts and feelings. This way, they avoid judging an experience or acting impulsively.
• Communicate With Others  Many sufferers have difficulty saying no, being assertive, and placing their desires first. A patient that feels unimportant or pushed aside is more likely to resort to negative behavior. Learning how to interact and speak with other people enables patients to maintain relationships and negotiate needs, both necessary for recovery.
• Control emotions  These skills help patients with eating disorders cope during a crisis. Rather than turn to symptoms as a coping mechanism, they learn to tolerate the hurt of negative emotions skillfully. This helps them move forward.

For more information or assistance, contact companies like Treatment Implementation Collaborative.

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