WHAT Skills
This skill involves simply noticing what is happening without trying to change it.
Observe
This skill means focusing on one thing at a time.
One-Mindfully
The state of mind driven primarily by feelings and emotions.
Emotion Mind
DBT stands for:
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
This part of the brain is responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and judgment, and is often affected by substance use.
This skill involves putting words on an experience without adding judgment.
Describe
This skill involves doing what works rather than focusing on being right.
Effectively
The state of mind that focuses on facts, logic, and reason.
Reasonable Mind
The word "dialectical" refers to balancing two seemingly opposite things, such as acceptance and this.
Change
The neurotransmitter most commonly associated with the brain's reward system and addictive behavior is:
Dopamine
This skill means becoming fully involved in the current activity.
Participate
This skill means avoiding labels like good, bad, stupid, or worthless.
Nonjudgmentally
The balanced state that combines emotion and reason.
Wise Mind
DBT is divided into these four major skills modules.
Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness
This drug is classified as a stimulant, sedative, AND a hallucinogen:
Marijuana
While eating a meal, noticing the taste, smell, and texture is an example of this skill.
Observe
Completing a task without checking your phone or thinking about the next task is an example of this skill.
One-Mindfully
A client recognizes they are hurt by a friend's actions but also acknowledges the friend may not have intended harm. This ability to hold both truths reflects this DBT principle.
Dialectical Thinking (or Wise Mind)
A client notices a craving (Observe), labels it as an urge rather than a command (Describe), remains engaged in recovery activities (Participate), avoids judging themselves for having the craving (Nonjudgmentally), focuses on the present moment (One-Mindfully), and chooses not to use because it supports recovery goals (Effectively). This demonstrates the integration of what overall DBT module?
Mindfulness
This concept refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections during recovery.
Neuroplasicity
Which WHAT skill would be most helpful for someone who constantly analyzes experiences instead of directly experiencing them?
Participate
A person notices the thought, "This meeting is boring," and replaces it with, "I'm having the thought that this meeting is boring." Which HOW Skill is being strengthened?
Nonjudgmentally
This common barrier to accessing Wise Mind occurs when a person becomes so emotionally activated that they can no longer accurately assess facts.
Emotion Mind taking over (or emotional dysregulation)
True or False: DBT was invented by accident!
TRUE!! Developed in the 1970s by psychologist Marsha Linehan, DBT was initially meant to treat severe, chronic suicidal behavior and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Linehan eventually revealed that she developed the framework while struggling with her own severe mental health challenges.
Several U.S. cities face severe and persistent drug crises, with rankings based on usage rates, overdose deaths, and socioeconomic impact. Which major U.S. city, however, has the highest drug mortality rates?
Baltimore, MD - One of the highest drug-related mortality rates in the country, driven largely by opioids like heroin. The city’s crisis strains healthcare, law enforcement, and community safety.