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If you haveborderline personality disorder, you have probably heard of both cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Are these modes of treatment different or simply variations of each other? Let’s take a closer look at thesetypes of behavioral therapiesand how they are related.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a form of therapy that aims to restructure and change the way a person thinks and behaves. Whether or not this therapy is beneficial depends strongly on the relationship between the individual and their therapist. The individual’s willingness to make a change is also a crucial factor.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and How Does It Work?
We Tried 100+ Therapy Services and Apps—And These Are the 8 Best for Online CBT
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT, is a modified type of CBT that was uniquely developed to treat borderline personality disorder. This approach is called “dialectical” because it involves the interaction of two conflicting ideas, which are that improving the symptoms of BPD involves both acceptance and change.
It focuses on skills likemindfulnessor living in the present, regulating emotions, tolerating distress, and effectively managing relationships with others. DBT is the only empirically supported treatment for borderline personality disorder.
DBT is composed of four elements that the individual and therapist usually work on over a year or more:
This type of therapy focuses on some of the common symptoms of BPD including impulsivity, exaggerated mood changes, unstable relationships, poor sense of self, and the fear of abandonment. DBT also helps people with BPD work on skills such as being able to tolerate distress, regulating emotions, and effective interpersonal behavior.
One major focus on DBT is to help people learn how to deal with powerful emotions and learn new ways of coping with strong feelings without resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Distress tolerance, for example, centers on helping people recognize and accept painful feelings without engaging in harmful behaviors like self-harm.
How Dialectical Behavior Therapy Works
How to Decide Which BPD Treatment Is Right for You
If you have borderline personality disorder, there are treatments that can help you manage your condition. Please speak with your doctor about finding the right therapist and treatment model for you so you can feel better and improve your quality of life.
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Differences Between Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
DBT is simply a modified form of CBT that uses traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques, but also implements other skills like mindfulness, acceptance, and tolerating distress.
CBTHelps patients change how they think/behavePatients learn how to manage negative emotionsCan be used in the treatment of many disordersDBTA type of cognitive-behavioral therapyIncorporates other skills (e.g., mindfulness)Specifically treats borderline personality disorder
CBTHelps patients change how they think/behavePatients learn how to manage negative emotionsCan be used in the treatment of many disorders
Helps patients change how they think/behave
Patients learn how to manage negative emotions
Can be used in the treatment of many disorders
DBTA type of cognitive-behavioral therapyIncorporates other skills (e.g., mindfulness)Specifically treats borderline personality disorder
A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy
Incorporates other skills (e.g., mindfulness)
Specifically treats borderline personality disorder
The good news is that DBT has been found to be considerably more effective in treating people with borderline personality disorder.
It’s interesting to note that some cognitive-behavioral therapists incorporate certain elements of the DBT model into their treatment sessions. Also, other forms of CBT have developed that use the elements of DBT. For instance, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy utilizes traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness to treat depression.
Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.
Get Help Now
We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Psychotherapy. National Alliance on Mental Health.Matusiewicz AK, Hopwood CJ, Banducci AN, Lejuez CW.The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for personality disorders.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):657-85. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.007May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Psychotherapy. National Alliance on Mental Health.Matusiewicz AK, Hopwood CJ, Banducci AN, Lejuez CW.The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for personality disorders.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):657-85. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.007May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Psychotherapy. National Alliance on Mental Health.Matusiewicz AK, Hopwood CJ, Banducci AN, Lejuez CW.The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for personality disorders.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):657-85. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.007May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62
Psychotherapy. National Alliance on Mental Health.
Matusiewicz AK, Hopwood CJ, Banducci AN, Lejuez CW.The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for personality disorders.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):657-85. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.007
May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62
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