Dialectical behaviour therapy
An approach developed for strong emotional swings, teaching concrete skills for surviving moments of crisis.
What it means
Known as DBT. It combines acceptance and change — hence »dialectical«. It teaches four sets of skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.
How it differs
Highly structured, often delivered in groups. It has the strongest research support for self-harm and marked emotional instability.
See also
Rationalisation
A reasonable-sounding explanation for something you did for entirely different reasons.
Cortisol
The hormone that keeps the body on standby over the long term — useful in a burst, burdensome as a constant flow.
Serotonin
A substance involved in mood, sleep and digestion — but the »too little serotonin« explanation is far too simple.
