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Introduction
In our professional experience, at no other time have we seen more of a demand for compassionate, effective, and comprehensive mental health care than we did in the strange year of 2020. The mental health toll caused by the isolating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial uncertainties of the economy, the divisive polarization of social justice causes, and the doubt and suspicions magnified by political extremes has impacted those without mental health issues, significantly impacted those with mental health issues, and even affected mental health practitioners. We are, after all, human beings whose brains respond to stress, strong emotions, and lack of connection.
We all need to take care of ourselves, and we don’t have time to spend years contemplating our lives. The changes you make today will reverberate throughout the rest of your life. Now is the time to start behaving in ways that are consistent with your values and your aspirations. Of course, you need the help of others — even the most powerful of quarterbacks cannot win without a supportive team — but you can also take charge of some of your own self-care. You don’t need the blessing of others to start changing your behaviors, by eating healthier food, exercising more regularly, getting to bed on time, reducing your alcohol intake, and practicing some meditation every day. And then, when you’re a healthier person, you bring a more skillful version of yourself to your life and to the relationships that you care about.
We have told our patients, friends, families, and colleagues that DBT — dialectical behavior therapy — is not just for our patients but is also a life enhancer for everyone. When we practice DBT, we are better able to take care of ourselves and our relationships, we are more compassionate, and we make less judgmental assumptions. We don’t say these things simply because we authored this book, but because we have seen the benefits of DBT in our personal and professional lives.
About This Book
DBT For Dummies is a book for our time. The world in 2020 — when we wrote this book — was full of the most unexpected of challenges. There was a global pandemic, a contentious election, and demonstrations that highlighted significant divisions within our communities. These are experiences that demand the most of us, and yet can also bring out our weaknesses and struggles.
For those who already fight against underlying mental health conditions, the need to be able to regulate, connect effectively, tolerate difficult moments without sinking deeper into despair, and pay attention to the present moment, each other, and ourselves makes the need for the skills in this book timely and essential. These are skills
