If I Knew Then

In just a few short weeks I will be embarking on the next phase of my recovery, which is going to a informed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills group. DBT is a type of therapy that focuses on language to overcome intense emotions. It is commonly used to treat personality disorders but can also be used for other things. It can be taken both as a group or individually but a lot of psychiatrists, including mine, recommend you do both.

When I first heard of this type of therapy I was rather nervous and confused. This is the first time I’ve heard of DBT and the first time I’ve formally done group therapy. Sure in college we had group therapy as extra credit, but this is much more formal. I knew that this would be a huge commitment as these groups are normally weeks long, but the more I considered it, the more I realized how instrumental this therapy might be for my recovery.

Finding a DBT group was quite challenging. There aren’t many places near me that host this type of therapy, which I’ve come to learn is unfortunately quite common for DBT. I thankfully was able to find a group that was online and was beginning in September. Finding an individual therapist who works with DBT was also challenging as not many in my area practice it. I was able to find a couple of people on Psychology Today and narrowed it down to one therapist who I really liked. (I really recommend this website for anyone looking for any type of mental health professional.)

For my individual therapy, my therapist and I came to the agreement that meeting once a week was probably going to be the best option. She was very flexible and let me choose my meeting times and dates. Similarly, I met with the facilitator of the group and he did a pre-group consultation. At this appointment we discussed why I wanted to join the group and whether it was a good fit or not. We talked about my diagnosis, the group policies, and the time commitment that accompanies the group. After this appointment I was given the opportunity to change my mind about joining if I wasn’t ready to do so, giving me full control of my recovery.

As I continue my journey, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the amount of help I’m receiving. There is a part of my brain that is trying very hard to convince me that I am fine and don’t need it, and then there’s a side of my brain begging me to help it. Therapy can be a very hard obstacle to overcome and something that is hard to ask for at times. My goal is to document my experience so that way others going through the same thing can get an idea of what to expect and realize that asking for help is not too bad.