Research has shown it helps with a wide range of mental health problems, notably those involving emotional dysregulation, self-destructive behaviors, and interpersonal difficulties.
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
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- DBT is considered the gold standard for BPD treatment.
- It lowers self-harm, suicidal behavior, emotional instability, and relationship chaos.
- Depression
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- Very helpful for chronic, treatment-resistant, or emotionally intense
- Assists with hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and emotional numbness.
- Anxiety disorders
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- Including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, and panic disorder.
- DBT teaches distress tolerance and emotion regulation, both crucial for managing anxiety.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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- Especially for complex PTSD (C-PTSD) linked to ongoing emotional dysregulation.
- DBT aids in regulating intense emotions and building coping skills before trauma processing.
- Eating disorders
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- Mostly binge-eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.
- DBT eases bingeing and purging behaviors by targeting emotional eating patterns.
- Substance use disorders
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- DBT for substance abuse (DBT-SUD) integrates addiction-specific strategies with standard DBT.
- Makes it easier to stay sober by managing cravings, triggers, and emotional pain without using substances.
- Self-harm and suicidal behavior
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- Even without a full BPD diagnosis, DBT is highly effective at reducing non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts.
- Bipolar disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults
- Problems related to emotional dysregulation
Even outside formal diagnoses, DBT is useful for:
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- Anger issues.
- Chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Interpersonal chaos.
- Difficulty tolerating distress.
- Impulsivity and risky behavior.
The main structure (skills training, individual therapy, phone coaching, and therapist consultation) usually stays the same, but the attention and abilities emphasized might shift.
