Dialectical behavior therapy for substance abuse: A pilot application to methamphetamine-dependent women with borderline personality disorder Original Research Article

The primary aim of this paper is to describe key modifications made to standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for use with substance-dependent individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Key modifications include application of dialectics to issues surrounding abstinence, a new set of substance abuse behavioral targets, a set of attachment strategies for difficult-to-engage and easily lost clients, and modification of some skills geared for substance abusing clients. Treatment outcome findings from a small 12-month uncontrolled pilot trial of DBT for methamphetamine-dependent women with BPD are presented. Of the 3 participants who commenced treatment, 2 completed treatment and were abstinent from use of all illicit drugs by 6 months; results were maintained for the duration of the assessment period 6 months later. These encouraging results suggest that DBT may hold promise for treating methamphetamine dependence.