Accepting clients seeking DBT and DBT-SUD. Intake appointments in 1-2 weeks. Until I open an in person office, I provide telehealth appointments only.
This treatment approach includes the entire DBT program and additional skills and interventions that assist in reducing alcohol or drug use. If you are interested in learning ways to cut down or quit your use, please read this page and the DBT page.
Who Benefits From DBT-SUD?
People who may consider DBT-SUD, are those who tend to have the following experiences:
Difficulties with Alcohol or Drug Use. As a result of having difficulties managing emotions and dealing chronic stressors, some individuals learned to cope by numbing their distress with mind and mood altering chemicals. These individuals oftentimes have misused alcohol or drugs to mild, moderate, or severe degrees. As a result, they've made efforts to cut down or quit their use. The intensity of consumption can range from daily use in moderation to infrequent binge use.
Substances are used to cope with intense physical sensations. These could be described as feelings of panic, intense energy, tension, hypervigilence, and unbearable distress. On the flip side, individuals might experience the absence of physical sensations. Feelings of emptiness, darkness, numbness, disorientation, and apathy.
Substances are used to cope with intense emotions that tend to cause negative or unwanted consequences. These emotions might be - fear, sadness, guilt, shame, anger, grief, jealousy, envy, and disgust. These emotions could present themselves in romantic relationships, peer relationships, family relationships, parent-child relationships, at school, at work, at home when you're alone, in public places, or when you're trying to complete tasks.
Difficulties with urges and cravings for substances. Urges and Impulses compel us to confront or avoid situations regardless of their effectiveness. We could have compulsions and impulses to engage in repetitive, risky, substance use or sexual behaviors. These underlying patterns are difficult to resist without proper treatment.
Difficulties with PTSD. PTSD can present itself as all of the above symptoms and be specifically linked to certain tasks, locations, people, thoughts, memories, and times of the year.
Want to learn more?
Please review the DBT Page to learn about the DBT program as a whole. These components are all within DBT-SUD.
If you are curious about learning more about your substance use and seeing if DBT-SUD is for you, please contact me and we can schedule a diagnostic assessment and figure out the best treatment options for you.