Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
for Addiction in Orange County
Substance use often occurs alongside emotional difficulties, known as “dual diagnosis” or “co-occurring” issues.1 This is because people experiencing overwhelming feelings sometimes don’t know how to manage them, so they may turn to drugs or alcohol to help numb the pain.
Dialectical behavioral therapy takes a practiced, evidence-based approach to treating these interconnected challenges. At A Better Life Recovery’s San Juan Capistrano facility, our licensed, DBT-trained clinicians integrate mindfulness and interpersonal skills to help you start and maintain the recovery process.
If you or someone you care about needs help with addiction and emotional intensity or self-harming behaviors, contact us today at 866-278-8804 to learn how we can help.
This page can also work as a useful guide to understanding our dialectical behaviour therapy approaches, exploring:
- What dialectical behavior therapy is
- The core DBT skills
- How DBT can be used to treat addiction
- Conditions we treat with DBT
- An overview of our DBT program in Orange County
- How to navigate the insurance process
- Answers to FAQs on DBT
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT, is a specialized kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy approach developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s.2 Dr. Linehan created DBT to treat borderline personality disorder, and the ensuing decades have shown its effectiveness at treating a wide array of other conditions as well. The term “dialectical” refers to balancing two seemingly opposite approaches: acceptance and change. Other forms of mental health counseling often focus on changing problematic behaviors, but DBT recognizes that people also need validation and acceptance of their struggles to make changes. DBT combines both cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices drawn from Eastern traditions. It teaches four core skill modules: distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT therapy and DBT skills have been widely studied and have been shown to improve self-destructive behaviors and manage intense emotions. Both of which can be critical factors in recovering from addiction.3The Four Core DBT Skills
Dialectical behavioral-based treatment is organized into four separate skill-based modules that work together to address unique challenges that often arise in addiction and recovery. These are:4Mindfulness
Mindfulness can be thought of as a core foundation for all other DBT skills. This practice teaches you present-moment awareness of your body and your thoughts without judgment. This allows people to observe themselves without automatically reacting. For example, someone experiencing a craving can learn to notice the urge without immediately acting on it. This pause helps to create more space for choosing healthier, more congruent responses in daily life.Distress Tolerance
Moments of crisis can be a trigger for relapse when you struggle with intense, distressing emotions. Distress tolerance skills can help you get through difficult situations without making them worse by resorting to impulsive reactions. TIPP skills – temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation – can provide immediate relief during times of stress. Radical acceptance, meanwhile, teaches you to acknowledge sometimes painful realities that can’t be currently changed, reducing suffering and increasing feelings of acceptance.Emotion Regulation
Many people experiencing addiction issues have difficulty dealing with their emotional experiences. Emotional regulation skills can help you better understand and name what you’re feeling, which creates more possibilities for responding appropriately. This DBT module also addresses reducing vulnerability to negative emotions through better sleep, nutrition, and self-care practices.Interpersonal Effectiveness
Relationship conflicts and poor communication patterns can both contribute to substance use. Interpersonal effectiveness skills help people ask for what they need and better maintain important, core relationships. Some examples of this include:5-
-
- DEAR MAN (Describing the situation, Expressing your feelings, Asserting your needs, Reinforcing the benefits, being Mindful of the objective, Appearing confident, Negotiating when necessary)
- GIVE skills focus on maintaining relationships during hard conversations: be Gentle, act Interested, Validate the other person, and adopt an Easy manner.
- FAST skills, meanwhile, teach you to maintain your self-respect and outlook: being Fair to yourself and to others, avoiding unnecessary Apologies, Sticking to your values, and being Truthful.
-
How DBT Helps to Treat Addiction
People sometimes turn to drug and alcohol use because they’re hurting, and substances can feel as if they provide a form of temporary relief. DBT treatment helps you to learn new ways of handling emotional pain and start the healing process. It does so in the following ways:
Addressing the Root Causes of Substance Use and Skill-Building
Maybe you turned to drugs and alcohol because coping with overwhelming feelings, traumatic memories, or relationship distress felt like too much to bear. DBT directly addresses these specific challenges, rather than merely focusing on stopping addiction.
Skills training provides you with tested, concrete alternatives to coping patterns that can be harmful. Distress tolerance techniques can be especially valuable during vulnerable moments of craving or withdrawal, helping you get through without relapsing.
When someone experiences intense anger, anxiety, or sadness, DBT also has specific cognitive and behavioral tools to apply to these. These tools can help you gain new insight and practice healthier ways of responding.
Reducing Impulsivity and Treating Co-Occurring Issues
DBT’s focus on reducing impulsive behaviors is a vital part of the treatment process. Mindfulness practices create more space between impulse and action, allowing you to choose recovery-oriented responses even when emotions feel powerful and overwhelming.
The interpersonal effectiveness module also helps you repair the relationships harmed by addiction, reducing stressors that can often lead to a relapse.
DBT is also an evidence-based therapy for several dual diagnosis issues frequently seen with addiction, including trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Further, clients who haven’t responded to other treatments can benefit from DBT’s emphasis on regulation and acceptance, alongside other unique and holistic treatment options.
Conditions We Treat With DBT
DBT’s versatility and adaptability make it an effective modality for several conditions that commonly co-occur with addiction, including:
- Bipolar disorder: DBT targets the mood regulation, impulsivity, and depressive symptoms that are hallmarks of this condition.
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD): The condition that Dr. Linehan originally developed DBT to treat, often featuring a lack of stable relationships and difficulties managing emotions.
- Depression: DBT can help you address the emotional pain and intensity that are often seen in depression and concurrent substance use.
- Eating disorders: Teaching healthier ways to manage distress and self-image issues.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Trauma can leave a lasting impact, and DBT can help you process it and target the underlying symptoms.
- Self-harm and suicidal ideation: Dialectical skills can help you build new reasons for living and better manage crisis moments.
- Substance use disorders and emotional dysregulation: Focusing on ongoing drug or alcohol use, often complicated by intense feelings and emotional experiences.
Our DBT Program in Orange County
A Better Life Recovery integrates all the essential components of dialectical behavioral therapy for addiction at our welcoming San Juan Capistrano facility. Licensed therapists work one-on-one with clients to address their unique challenges and apply new skills to their circumstances. DBT skills training groups also help you to learn and practice the four core modules together.
Additionally, DBT mindfulness groups help to strengthen your present-moment awareness and non-judgmental observation, while our team integrates DBT for trauma approaches for total-person care.
Psychiatric care and medication management support emotional dysregulation treatment and DBT for addiction as well. Our 24/7 clinical support and residential care give you help when you need it, with licensed staff including LCSWs, LMFTs, and CADCs delivering expert guidance.
Insurance & Admissions
A Better Life Recovery accepts almost all major insurance plans. Let our admissions team provide you with a free, confidential insurance verification to find out your benefits for residential DBT and substance misuse treatment programming.
We proudly serve communities throughout the Southern California region seeking DBT therapy in Orange County, including:
- Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana
Even if you’re lacking health insurance or adequate coverage, we can discuss possible alternative payment options. Financial concerns shouldn’t ever prevent access to high-quality care, and we’re invested in serving our community’s health and well-being.
Ready to get started? Call us today to speak with an admissions specialist. We’ll explain your benefits and answer any questions you may have, providing same-day admissions when appropriate.
Start Your Recovery Journey Today
If you’re ready to break free from substance use addiction, reach out to us today to arrange a free, confidential consultation. Our 24/7 admissions helpline can answer any questions you may have. Let us support you on your journey to recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About DBT For Addiction
If you’re considering DBT for addiction, it’s normal to have some ongoing questions about whether it’s the right fit for your needs. While our team can happily discuss this with you, the following responses to FAQs on the topic may also help.
What’s the Difference Between DBT and CBT?
DBT vs. CBT truly comes down to whatever best suits your unique treatment needs, as both approaches are evidence-based and frequently utilized in mental health and addiction treatment. CBT tends to focus on identifying and changing difficult behaviors that can contribute to emotional and behavioral difficulties.
Dialectical behavior therapy for addiction focuses on building on CBT’s foundation by adding in core concepts regarding mindfulness and acceptance, making it effective for people with a tendency toward powerful emotions and self-destructive behaviors.
Who Is DBT Best Suited For?
DBT tends to work best for those struggling with emotions that frequently feel overwhelming and uncontrollable, including those with a history of trauma, self-harm, or impulsive behaviors affecting their recovery.
For example, people engaging in DBT for borderline personality disorder or those participating in DBT for PTSD often respond extremely well. This skills-based approach can provide you with the tools you’ve been looking for to improve your mental health and start the recovery process from substance use.
How Long Does DBT Treatment Take?
DBT skills training begins right away upon entering our residential treatment program, continuing throughout your one-to-two-month stay. You’ll learn about and practice all four skill modules during that time, though mastering them usually takes several more months of consistent engagement and practice.
Many clients continue engaging with DBT for relapse prevention work in our outpatient programs after inpatient treatment is complete, with these skills becoming lifelong tools to be used in difficult situations in the future.
Can DBT Help With Trauma and PTSD?
Absolutely – DBT for trauma can be highly effective, especially when combined with other modalities like CBT or eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
ABLR integrates all these modalities and more to help you process overwhelming and traumatic memories safely. Plus, DBT skills such as mindfulness help you remain grounded and present around the work that’s helping you heal.
Is DBT Covered By Insurance?
DBT therapy services are included as a part of our residential and other addiction treatment programs. Most insurance plans cover DBT as part of dual diagnosis treatment, and our admissions team can handle the verification process for you and explain your specific benefits.
Contact us at 866-278-8804 for your free insurance check to determine your coverage.
References
- Greenstein, L. (2017). Understanding Dual Diagnosis | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nami.org. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/October-2017/Understanding-Dual-Diagnosis
- Chapman, A. L. (2006). Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Current Indications and Unique Elements. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 3(9), 62–68. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2963469/
- Dimeff, L., & Linehan, M. (2008). Dialectical behavior therapy for substance abusers. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 4(2), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1151/ascp084239
- University of Washington. (2023). Dialectical behavior therapy | behavioral research & therapy clinics. University of Washington. https://depts.washington.edu/uwbrtc/about-us/dialectical-behavior-therapy/
- Kaiser Permanente (n.d.). Interpersonal Effectiveness Handouts Handouts for Goals and Factors That Interfere. Kp.org. https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/Images/Interpersonal%20Effectiveness%20DBT%20Skills%20ADA_04302020_tcm75-1599002.pdf
CONTACT NOW
WE ARE FULLY LICENSED AND ACCREDITED
