The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for PTSD

Book excerpt: This pragmatic workbook offers evidence-based skills grounded in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you find lasting relief from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you’ve experienced trauma, you should know that there is nothing wrong with you. Trauma is a normal reaction to an abnormal event. Sometimes, the symptoms of trauma persist long after the traumatic situation has ceased. This is what we call PTSD—in other words, the “trauma after the trauma.” This happens when the aftereffects of trauma—such anxiety, depression, anger, fear, insomnia, and even addiction—end up causing more ongoing harm than the trauma itself. So, how can you start healing? With this powerful and proven-effective workbook, you’ll find practical exercises for overcoming trauma using mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. You’ll learn how to be present in the moment and identity the things that trigger your trauma. You’ll also find activities and exercises to help you cope with stress, manage intense emotions, navigate conflict with others, and change unhealthy thought patterns that keep you stuck. Finally, you’ll find practical materials for review and closure, so you can take what you’ve learned out into the world with you. If you’re ready to move past your trauma and start living your life again, this workbook will help guide you, one step at a time. The practical interventions in this guide can be used on their own or in conjunction with therapy.