Learning to live with a mental disorder

Dialectical Behavior Therapy / Terapia de conducta dialéctica

Acceptance, Meditation, Mental Health Services, Treatment

At the beginning of each session, the facilitator guides the patients through a meditation exercise. This is aimed at learning to be fully aware of the moment, at identifying the reactions of the body to the thoughts.

The idea is to identify when the thoughts produce a reaction and when this becomes chemical, heating the skin, accelerating the cardiac rhythm, perspiring, shivering. I learn to identify the impulse before acting on it during heated discussions or difficult moments. Other positive consequence of meditation is that it helps me tolerate discomfort because it implies acceptance of the present moment without judging or trying to modify it. By experiencing reality as it is, I gain a feeling of wellbeing and a new sense of spirituality. Meditation also helps me to focus, and this in turn, helps me experience life in full awareness.