When Emotions Feel Overwhelming: How DBT Can Help

Acceptance creates space for change.

We all experience strong emotions from time to time. Whether it’s anger, sadness, anxiety or frustration, emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming and difficult to manage. When emotions become intense, it can be hard to think clearly, communicate how we feel or know how to respond in a way that feels helpful. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an approach that can help us better understand our emotions and develop practical skills to manage them. Rather than trying to avoid or get rid of difficult emotions, DBT focuses on learning how to cope with them in healthier and more effective ways.

What is DBT?

DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions. It was developed in the late 1970s to help patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but has since been adapted to treat a broad spectrum of psychological difficulties. DBT focuses on four specific skill modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

How can DBT help?

DBT is particularly helpful for people who are struggling with intense emotions, self-destructive habits and emotional dysregulation. DBT uses its four core skill modules to provide clients with better coping strategies and practical tools for managing difficult emotions and situations.

Mindfulness

Staying centred in the present moment can help you become more aware of what you’re thinking, feeling and experiencing without immediately reacting to it.

Distress tolerance

Distress tolerance involves navigating intense crises without resorting to impulsive or harmful actions. We use distress tolerance when emotions feel particularly intense and we can’t immediately change the situation.

Emotional regulation

Emotional regulation involves learning to understand emotions, identify them when they come up, recognise what triggers them and then develop healthier ways of responding.

Interpersonal effectiveness

DBT can also help with relationships and communication by providing skills to improve a client’s ability to communicate clearly, set boundaries and maintain healthy relationships.

The importance of accepting and changing

The idea of dialectics is that two things that are seemingly contradictory can be true at the same time. In DBT, this is the idea that you can accept yourself, your flaws and your current reality, while also actively working to change your behaviour at the same time.

For example: “I accept how I am feeling right now, but I am also working on changing how I respond.”

DBT combines acceptance and change to help people recognise that their emotions are valid, while also learning new skills to manage them.

What might DBT look like in therapy?

At Presence of Mind Psychology, we run group DBT sessions with our Clinical Psychologist Registrar, Alannah Konners. However, DBT can be used in both group and individual sessions. DBT is a structured program that usually takes place weekly and teaches you how to accept your current reality while actively working to change unhelpful behaviours. These sessions may involve:

•  Understanding emotional patterns and triggers

•  Learning practical skills

•  Practising the skills between sessions

•  Looking at behaviours and what happens before and after them

•  Developing healthier ways to cope

•  Applying skills to everyday situations and relationships

Who can DBT help?

DBT is best for people who struggle to control intense emotions, experience frequent mood swings or engage in self-destructive behaviours. Some conditions that DBT can help to treat include:

• Borderline Personality Disorder – helps reduce fear of rejection, unstable relationships and chronic emptiness

• Substance misuse disorders – can help lower cravings and stop impulsive reactions to stress

• Eating disorders – can help assist with binge eating and bulimia by building better coping habits

• PTSD and trauma – provides grounding methods to reduce severe flashbacks and anxiety

• Autism and ADHD – helps to manage the emotional and behavioural challenges associated with autism and ADHD

However, you don’t need a diagnosis to benefit from DBT. DBT skills can be useful for anyone who wants to better understand their emotions, manage stress, improve relationships or respond to difficult situations in healthier ways. 

When might it be time to seek support?

There are some signs that DBT could be beneficial if your emotions start to:

•  Affect your relationships

•  Interfere with work or study

•  Make everyday situations feel difficult

•  Lead to behaviours you may regret later

•  Feel difficult to manage on your own

•  Leave you feeling stuck in the same patterns

 How can psychology help?

Our psychologists will work collaboratively with you to understand your emotional patterns, identify what might be contributing to your difficulties and develop practical skills for managing emotions and navigating difficult situations.

Our psychologist, Alannah Konners, periodically runs group DBT sessions with about four clients at a time. If you would like more information about our DBT sessions, please contact our reception via email at reception@presenceofmind.com.au