Dropped DBT

Halfway through 3rd module of 4 I've dropped it. It may work for some, but I see through it and can't see any way of taking anything from it. Asked for an alternative, there isn't one apparently.

Mentalization therapy, schema therapy.

At least take mindfulness from it.

They are gonna diagnose you with ASPD with your attitude

Mindfulness doesn't work for me at all, my brain never settles down enough to do it!

Do deep breathing in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth making a bit of a sound. Do this for five minutes and see if it helps. Or you could just jog otherwise you need meds.

MuddyWaters wrote:Mindfulness doesn't work for me at all, my brain never settles down enough to do it!

I used to get frustrated when I kept noticing my mind wander and having to redirect it every 2 seconds. But that was the entire point of the exercise! I was quitting because I didn’t realize I was doing it exactly right.

Your mind is supposed to wander. Hearts beat, brains think - completely stopping either one is a pretty bad idea.

So don't try to stop it. The only goal is this: as soon as you notice your mind has wandered, gently redirect back to your breathing. Remember that noticing and redirecting (NOT a clear, quiet or focused mind) is the point of the exercise. It doesn't matter if you go 20 tangents deep before noticing, or if you have to redirect a thousand times per minute. That's exactly what's supposed to happen.

Your brain will never settle down. Ever. But the more you practice noticing thoughts and redirecting them, the stronger that ability becomes. And that ability will give you a freaky awareness of your thoughts and the power to pick and choose which ones you follow.

And that ability will give you a freaky awareness of your thoughts and the power to pick and choose which ones you follow.

Yep I have certainly noticed this, the breath focus exercise which is the main meditation exercise gives you a lot of self awareness.

With BPD you should also do body scanning which allows you to be more aware of your emotions and eventually control them.

One thing about meditation that people dont realise is it does become addictive, it produces opiates much like exercise does.
I have been doing it for 2 years now and I am doing an exercise that produces complete relaxation.

SBBro wrote:With BPD you should also do body scanning which allows you to be more aware of your emotions and eventually control them.

Honestly, I'm happy just experiencing them and knowing where they're coming from. That constant sense of "I have no idea what I'm feeling but I desperately want it to stop" is gone. Now I think, "Well, I'm kind of sad this evening because x/y/z happened earlier. It's not fun, but it's a normal part of life. It'll pass."

SBBro wrote:One thing about meditation that people dont realise is it does become addictive, it produces opiates much like exercise does.
I have been doing it for 2 years now and I am doing an exercise that produces complete relaxation.

Awesome to hear! Gives me something to look forward to, as I still suck at dedicated meditation. I usually just practice while I'm doing tasks I used to find boring, like washing the dishes, driving my car, that sort of thing.

You need to force yourself to do it you cant just do it when you feel like it, you need to plan ahead and set a timer so for example catch a bus or listen to a playlist or set an alarm. Its about keeping yourself in that mind state, either listening or scanning for objects to say or focusing on your breath.