Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Survival Skills

(Midwestern Recovery Center)

DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) is an evidence based therapy that integrates survival skills into treating mental disorders, such as relationship changes, trauma, extreme stress, fear, anxiety, or any other detriment to someone’s mental wellness. In present time, individuals, especially adolescents, face different sources of problems from different facets of life. They are faced with societal, academic, and social media-based pressures, creating the need for people to go through dialectical behavior therapy. This type of therapy aims to develop healthier relationships and provide people with survival skills to manage challenging and stressful situations. These skills can be seen in prioritizing tasks, solving problems, and making decisions, allowing for patients to utilize techniques like distraction, self-soothing, and reflecting on distress. DBT offers a structured, skill-based approach that helps adolescents manage these challenges by promoting emotional stability and resilience.

Adding survival skills to DBT could significantly improve adolescent mental health outcomes. Survival skills training involves mastering strategies to cope with physical and emotional challenges, such as desert navigation, first aid, and logistics Not only do these activities provide practical skills, they rather it also builds strength and self-confidence. Teens who learn survival skills develop resilience, as they gain confidence in their ability to handle difficult situations. This control translates into other aspects of life, creating a more dynamic and flexible mindset. Survival skills training requires effective teamwork and communication, enhancing social relationships and interpersonal interactions. Group activities in survival training provide opportunities for young people to build supportive relationships, build their life skills and self-esteem and, what’s more, exercise that includes survival training reduces stress and anxiety and contributes to overall mental well-being.

Overall, DBT offers a comprehensive and effective approach to the management of adolescent mental health by promoting emotional regulation, enhancing social skills, and enhancing cognitive functioning. Integrating survival skills into DBT further enhances these benefits, providing adolescents with practical tools for coping and recovery. This integrated approach prepares young people to meet life’s challenges with confidence and flexibility, paving the way for a healthy and balanced future. Practically, DBT can be integrated into school counseling programs, residential care settings, and outpatient settings. Schools can offer DBT skills training as part of their mental health curriculum, enabling students. Likewise, mental health professionals can incorporate DBT techniques into individual and group therapy sessions, tailoring the approach to meet the unique needs of each adolescent.