Do you know that 1 in 4 people in the UK experiences a mental health problem each year?
But despite such a significant ratio, mental health problems are often ignored as they remain hidden, unlike physical health issues that are clearly visible to the naked eye. Moreover, not too long ago, people were unsure whether there was a ‘fix’ for how they were feeling or experiencing it in their heads, which led to people missing out on treatment. But fortunately, we have seen significant advances in the mental health domain in recent times, and now it is possible to treat mental health problems that were thought uncurable in the past.
Different Types of Treatment Options for Mental Health Support
Mental health support at the right time is nothing less than a godsend for someone suffering from a mental health issue. Fundamentally, there are two types of mental health treatment options:
● Psychotherapeutic treatments
● Somatic treatments
Psychotherapeutic treatments include psychotherapy, behaviour therapy techniques (such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and hypnotherapy.
Somatic treatments involve the use of both drugs and psychotherapy.
An Emerging Mental Health Support Option
In some cases, somatic treatments become necessary due to the extent of the mental health issue. However, mostly, it is preferable to find a solution to a mental health problem via psychotherapeutic treatment.
As discussed before, there have been remarkable advances in recent years in terms of mental health therapy. One of those advancements has been the use of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which is a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques.
How Does Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Work?
One of the most important aspects of DBT is that it aims to bring a sense of self-worth and self-acceptance to an individual. At the same time, it makes you more resolute and provides you with the much-needed (often missing) ability to manage tough emotions and control behaviour.
After undergoing DBT under the supervision of a seasoned mental health professional, you gain the following abilities:
● Ability to understand and manage emotions that lead to mental health issues
● Ability to change the perspective towards certain situations to deal with them in a better way
● Ability to enhance the quality of life by yourself through newly acquired skills like yoga and meditation
How is DBT Performed?
1. Before DBT can be performed, a patient needs to commit to the therapy. Generally, it takes 2-6 weeks to meet the criteria for DBT.
2. Once eligible for DBT, the patient is required to take two mental health sessions per week.
3. DBT is delivered under a mental health professional’s supervision in one-on-one and group sessions.
4. In group sessions, the patients are provided with a basic understanding of the DBT module that they will go through.
5. In one-to-one therapy, the patients work directly with the therapist and address significant mental health problems they are facing.
6. DBT treatment takes almost one year to provide the desired results
Advantages of the Breakthrough DBT Treatment
- DBT is considered a breakthrough treatment because it provides many advantages over traditional treatment options. Have a look:
- DBT is a treatment approach that has evidence to support its positive impact
- DBT is an evidence-based treatment approach for a range of mental health issues. It has been studied extensively and has shown that it effectively reduces symptoms and improves overall quality of life.
- DBT provides you with skills and enables you to overcome mental health issues
- DBT teaches specific skills related to mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, which help individuals regulate emotions, develop coping mechanisms, and enhance relationships.
- DBT caters to an individual’s unique needs
- DBT treatment is tailored to each individual’s unique needs and concerns. Instead of teaching wasteful skills that are never used in life, it helps patients cope with their specific life challenges.
Final Thoughts
Mental health problems are debilitating and can spoil an individual’s life. Therefore, it is vital to use cutting-edge treatment programmes for mental health issues like DBT to keep one’s life on track. With DBT, individuals suffering from mental health issues can gain new skills and learn how to cope with their emotions better. It is an evidence-based treatment with a high success rate, provided it is performed under the supervision of a seasoned therapist.
