Philadelphia DBT is a Life Worth Living Program

You’ve been in DBT for several months and learned some skills. You’re also not self-harming anymore. You’re tempted to quit. You wonder why you’d continue to invest your time and money when you are feeling better.

Going through DBT can seem like it takes forever. You knew that DBT was a time commitment, but what happens when you start to feel better? Do you need to stay in DBT?

You’re feeling better. That’s awesome!

When you’ve been living a life that’s full of pain, relationship turmoil, and self-harm, finally experiencing a some relief from all of that will feel amazing.

Quitting DBT

Feeling an urge to quit therapy prematurely is something that happens to a lot of people regardless of the type of therapy or counseling they’re in. For some people, when they begin to feel better they wonder why they need to remain in treatment.

When You Have Borderline Personality Disorder, What Does it Mean to Feel Better?

After congratulating my clients when they tell me that they feel better, I ask them what they mean by feeling better. Does this mean that you’re no longer engaging in self harm or feeling suicidal?

First of all, that’s an amazing accomplishment! My question now is, Are you living a life worth living or are you just existing, and feeling miserable?

Philadelphia DBT: A Life Worth Living Program

Your patterns of problem behavior did not start overnight. It’s taken years to get you to the place you’re at now. I can see how it’s tempting to not go to a session or to quit when you’ve begun to feel a bit better, especially when you’re not engaging in self-harm.

DBT is NOT a suicide prevention program.

Of course it makes sense that when you’ve been feeling like shit for years and then once you make progress, you feel great. That’s awesome. I want you to feel awesome.

For someone who has had BPD and/or has been struggling with their problems and behaviors for years, it will most likely take quite a bit of time to make sustainable, consistent change, and finding acceptance in life. In DBT, we ask that clients make a commitment to remain in treatment for 6-12 months, which is then often renewed again for another six months, and so on, until you’ve met your goals.

Some clients experience a desire to quit DBT when stop engaging in self-harm and it makes sense. They finally experience what it feels like to not be in so much emotional pain all the time. They feel a bit better and have some relief from the on-going emotional pain.

So, yeah, it makes sense that you think you don’t need therapy anymore.

DBT: A Life Worth Living Program

The overall goal of DBT is to help help individuals create a life worth living. Decreasing and refraining from suicidal and parasuicidal behavior is always the first priority. Getting to a place in treatment when you’re no longer engaging in suicidal behavior is no easy feat and needs to be celebrated.

And yet, it’s important to ensure that as a DBT therapist, I help my clients develop a life in which suicide and/or self-harm behaviors are no longer viewed as options to solve their problems. That means, as a DBT therapist, I need to help my clients make changes in their lives which align with ensuring they want to be alive.

Simply put, being free of self-harm and suicidal behavior is AMAZING, especially when you’ve been engaging in such behavior for a long time. The next part of your DBT journey is to learn and make changes in your life that align with remaining alive.

Philadelphia DBT Therapy

People who have borderline personality disorder, emotion dysregulation, and engage in dangerous, destructive behavior, can recover. People are not doomed to be “borderline” forever. DBT can help get you out of hell. DBT is not a suicide prevention program. DBT is a life worth living program.

Your Philadelphia DBT Therapist

If you’re ready to create lasting, meaningful change, and create a life that’s worth living, DBT can help. As a DBT therapist, I provide outpatient Dialectical Behavior Therapy, borderline personality disorder treatment, and therapy for anxiety.

Wondering if DBT is right for you? Reach out now and schedule a free DBT consultation with a Philadelphia DBT therapist. Book a therapy consult HERE.