Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most popular form of therapy for anxiety, but dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) is a wonderful alternative or complement to CBT. DBT is especially helpful for people whose anxiety creates unhelpful emotions that are hard to handle. Let’s take a closer look at what DBT is and some easy-to-use DBT skills to manage intense anxiety.

What is DBT?

DBT is a therapy very different from CBT. CBT emphasizes thoughts and behaviors, but DBT emphasizes emotional regulation and interpersonal skills. For anxiety, emotional regulation is usually to focus, but interpersonal skills are never ignored in DBT.

Dialectics are a central concept in DBT. A dialectic was defined by Marsha Linehan, the creator of DBT, as an integration of opposites. In other words, two things can be true even if they seem contradictory. We can be scared and still do what we’re afraid of. That’s the definition of a dialectic and the definition of courage.

DBT and Anxiety

Being afraid and still taking action is the key to coping with anxiety. This is extremely helpful for disproving our fears. With the help of DBT skills, it’s possible to use this dialectic whenever we feel anxious. When we do, our anxiety becomes more manageable.

DBT Skills for Anxiety

DBT was designed as a set of skills that help us deal with unhelpful emotions, negative thoughts, and interactions with others. In a conventional DBT setting, these skills are taught by a therapist in a class-like group alongside individual therapy. However, DBT skills can also be learned through online research or workbooks. Most DBT skills are simple to learn and use, but applying them regularly produces powerful results. Here are some easy-to-integrate DBT skills for the next time anxiety overwhelms you.

Check the Facts

This skill is also called fit the facts. It only takes a few seconds of reflection. Like all these skills, the key is remembering to use it. To check the facts:

1. Think about the facts of the situation. Don’t involve emotions.

2. Consider your thoughts and assumptions about the situation. Are they realistic, or are they detached from the facts?

3. Ask if you are assuming a threat. If so, is that assumption justified by the facts?

4. Finally, consider if your emotion and its intensity level fit the facts.

When we check the facts, we often find our anxiety is unwarranted or out of proportion to the situation. The simple act of checking the facts can help us see a situation more realistically and get our anxiety under control.

Radical Acceptance

Acceptance is a huge part of DBT. Radical acceptance means accepting your feelings and the facts of the situation without resistance. It doesn’t require you to like or approve of the situation, only to acknowledge your circumstances and feelings without fighting against them.

The crucial step of radical acceptance is to create a plan for action once you’ve processed you’ve accepted the situation. Decide what you will do and act as soon as you can. Remember that two things can be true. You can feel anxious and still decide to do something you’re afraid of. In fact, that’s at the heart of the next skill.

Opposite Action

This skill is exactly what it sounds like. Emotions are meant to inspire us to action. However, when our emotions or their intensity don’t fit the facts, acting on them does more harm than good.

Opposite action means choosing to act in a way that is counter to your anxiety. It’s dialectics in action. You can accept that you are anxious and still take the opposite action. There are lists available online of opposite actions for a variety of emotions. For anxiety, try:

• Doing what scares you. Even coming close to doing it or trying to do it is a huge step.

• Do something else that makes you feel confident and strong.

• Change your thinking. Do you really need to be anxious about this? If not, accept how you feel but remind yourself your fears aren’t helpful.

Summary

There are many other DBT skills for anxiety, but these are my favorites. They help us cope with the overwhelming emotions and negative thinking of anxiety. It’s helpful to use these three skills together, usually in the order given here. Try them next time you’re anxious. I’m sure they’ll help.