DISCLAIMER: this is part rant, part despair. I'm not trying to belittle anyone who has found DBT helpful. I'd just like some other perspectives to help me think about it, but I can only do that if I tell you why I hate it (in my mind anyway). However, if you're fragile and still figuring out our recovery with DBT, you probably shouldn't read this. I don't want to derail you.

Ok


I've tried cognitive based therapies in the past and hated them. Hated the worksheets, hated how it felt so shallow and meaningless. How could a worksheet do anything? It always felt like sticking a plaster over a gaping wound. It felt meaningless, as it didn't help me understand why I felt the way I did, which is all I want. I could never see the point because they never changed my mind on anything or told me anything I didn't already know.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life 'managing' myself with toolkits and acronyms. To me, it feels like being a trained dog: 'sit', 'roll over', 'self-soothe', 'distract yourself'. I want my mind back and the ability to innately regulate my life. I've tried doing this sort of thing alongside the rest of my life and there isn't time for both. I can't have this recovery and the life I had before, but what's the point of recovery if I can't live the life I want?