New member says Hello

[Hazelcat]

Hi all. I'm Hazel and I've been dealing with anxiety and depression for many years. Meds don't work very well for me (I've been on dozens) but currently just take a low dose of a tricyclic.

I'm dealing with a lot of emotional dysregulation and anger, probably due to peri menopause. I have a therapist and am working through a DBT workbook. Would be especially interested in hearing from anyone who has done DBT (dialectical Behaviour Therapy) or is doing it currently.

[Mocha231]

Hi Hazel,

We are so happy that you have decided to post on the forum. I want to wish you a warm welcome to the forum. Unfortunately meds do not work well for many people who have been diagnosed with both depression and anxiety co currently. DBT is a wonderful treatment modality that I have used with many individuals. The wonderful thing about this treatment modality is that there are several techniques that can help you get through times of stress. The most important thing to remember about DBT is that it must be practiced quite often so you don’t forget the exercises. CBT may also be a good option for you, not sure if you and your therapist have explored this therapeutic modality.

have a lovely evening,

[sandy11]

A very warm welcome to the forum Hazel!

Perimenopause is certainly an eventful time and it makes sense how some of the symptoms you are experiencing can add stress and worsen your anxiety and depression.

I have not had experience with DBT but am familiar with CBT for anxiety and depression as Mocha231 had suggested.

Or if you are planning to try out the DBT, another add-on could be mindfulness meditation, which introduces breathing and grounding techniques intending to strengthen self-control, awareness, and acceptance. These skills could possibly complement your DBT for emotional regulation and may even aid some other perimenopause-related symptoms such as hot flashes or sleep troubles.

If this is something you haven't done already, perhaps you might like to chat with your therapist about incorporating mindfulness alongside the DBT..

Wishing you well on this journey!

[Hazelcat]

Thanks for the responses! I've done CBT a few times already and yes, it's good. I think mindfulness is a significant component of DBT but haven't got to that section yet.

[uni]

Hello Hazelcat, and welcome to the forum! I've heard of DBT but never been involved with it. I hope it helps you. I'd be interested in hearing how you make out, or anything about it you may like to share.

[Hazelcat]

Hello Hazelcat, and welcome to the forum! I've heard of DBT but never been involved with it. I hope it helps you. I'd be interested in hearing how you make out, or anything about it you may like to share.

Thanks Uni. Here's a good summary of DBT:

https://www.verywellmind.com/dialectical-behavior-therapy-1067402

[Hazelcat]

And I'm already finding it helpful as one of the first sections I completed covered strategies for getting out of emotional dysregulation. The book I'm using is _The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook_ by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood and Jeffrey Brantley.

[uni]

Thanks very much Hazelcat for that link, I think it explained DBT quite clearly. As for the book, it may be something my local library could get in if I wanted to look at it. I'm glad you're finding help through these things

[Hazelcat]

Thanks very much Hazelcat for that link, I think it explained DBT quite clearly. As for the book, it may be something my local library could get in if I wanted to look at it. I'm glad you're finding help through these things

I'm also finding benefit from the philosophy of Stoicism which I just found out is one of the philosophies that inspired the development of DBT. Stoicism is having a resurgence right now, partly due to bestselling author Ryan Holiday who promotes the philosophy - his books all have long hold waits at the library so I ended up just buying some of them as e-books when they were on sale. Although I have noticed that my library is now offering "skip the line" on some e-books for 7-day borrowing periods so that is cool. Whenever I log in it seems to offer me something from my hold list. I'm not working right now so I can usually get through a book in that amount of time.

Also Holiday has a daily email list The Daily Stoic that is free, and I read it every morning. I use certain aspects of Stoicism for dealing with social anxiety.

[Hazelcat]

p.s. if you get the DBT workbook from the library, there are links to the worksheets online. I assume you could even complete them as pdfs if you save a copy and don't have access to a printer or don't want to print them out. I use the PDF "fill and sign" for online worksheets.

[uni]

Thanks for all the info Hazelcat. I checked out one of the Stoicism videos and got a sense of it. I think there are some good points there.

I may look into the DBT but I have other books on the go. You sound like a dedicated reader! I used to be, but I've become involved in hobbies and other pursuits the last few years, so it takes me a while to finish a book these days.