Aug 31 2009
On DBT: Skills for Mind, Body, and Spirit
Mind, Body, and Spirit- progressive psychological and medical research has definitely shown a link between these three, and so it is important to recognize the mind, body, and spirit when addressing mental health and medical issues. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) recognizes this importance and contains skills addressing all three.
So what are these aspects of the self?
In brief, the mind is the mental aspect of a human being- thoughts, plans, perceptions, evaluations. The mind is responsible for identifying choices, making decisions, solving problems, etc. Emotions are also a component of the mind, and are as much affected by our thoughts as our thoughts are affected by our emotions. Therapies treating the mind include Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT), and many other types which seek to change or challenge negative thoughts that are said to create negative moods contributing to mental illness. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) includes skills that teach ways to redirect, challenge, and change thoughts, and approach life from a different perspective.
The body is the vehicle in which we can move about in the world, enjoying various experiences with the five senses- touch, taste, sound, smell, sight. It is the physical aspect of the self including our organs and chemical make-up. Therapies and medication treating the physical body include beta-blockers, insulin, electro-shock therapy, and psychotropic medications (antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, etc.). DBT skills that address physical health encourage nutrition, proper sleep, discipline in the area of drug or alcohol intake, and taking medications as prescribed.
And finally, the spirit is the aspect of the self that transcends logical thought and the physical body- considered by some to be the conduit for ”gut” feelings or intuition, and spiritual experiences. The spirit is thought to be responsible for experiences of higher consciousness. Without the spiritual aspect of a human, it is possible we may not experience relationships in the manner of feeling whole or connected to one another, or even be able to experience passion or being in love. ”Spiritual” does not mean “religious” and may not even make reference to or signify a deity or higher power in one’s life, however often times spiritual matters do contain an element of religiousity and/or worship of a higher power or deity. Spirit could be seen as the energy source of the body, the fuel that does not rely on food or sleep necessarily but on what unique characteristics create the essence of you and drive you on that path to being you. DBT skills also teach ways to nurture the spiritual aspect of the self, such as meditation and prayer.
A holistic approach to making ourselves feel better definitely seems to be a more effective way to achieve overall wellness and health, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Even if one component of the self is affected originially, the other aspects of the self are affected as well and contribute to speed of recovery.
For mental health counseling in Orlando, Winter Park area, please call 407.835.3673 for more information or to make an appointment.