Why DBT Skills Are Helpful for People Living with Chronic Pain
Living with chronic pain isn’t just about managing your pain — it often comes with emotional distress, relationship strain, and a sense of hopelessness. That’s why managing chronic pain effectively requires more than just medication. As a psychiatrist with a special interest in pain management, I’ve found that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills can be life-changing for many people living with persistent pain.
What is DBT?
DBT is a structured form of therapy that teaches practical skills in four key areas:
Mindfulness: Being present without judgment
Distress tolerance: Coping with crisis without making things worse
Emotion regulation: Understanding and managing intense feelings
Interpersonal effectiveness: Navigating relationships with clarity and confidence
While DBT was originally developed for people with emotional dysregulation, it’s increasingly being used to support those managing chronic health conditions — including chronic pain.
Why DBT Skills Matter for Chronic Pain
1. Pain and emotions are deeply connected
Pain can trigger anxiety, frustration, sadness, and even panic. These emotional responses can, in turn, worsen the experience of pain. DBT teaches emotion regulation skills that help break this cycle, giving you more control over your internal world — even when the pain persists.
2. It helps you manage pain-related distress
When pain flares up or becomes overwhelming, we can fall into unhelpful reactions like withdrawing, lashing out, or catastrophizing. DBT’s distress tolerance skills offer healthier ways to cope in the moment, without resorting to harmful behaviors or spiraling emotionally.
3. It improves relationships affected by pain
Chronic pain can strain relationships with partners, children, friends, and colleagues. DBT’s interpersonal effectiveness skills help you communicate your needs clearly and build stronger, more supportive connections.
4. It builds a sense of control
One of the hardest parts of chronic pain is the loss of control. DBT emphasizes mindfulness — learning to observe your experience without judgment and respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. This can reduce feelings of helplessness and increase your sense of agency.
DBT doesn’t take the pain away — but it can change how you live with it.
People who incorporate DBT skills into their pain management often report:
Feeling more emotionally balanced
Having better relationships
Being more resilient in the face of pain
Rediscovering a sense of purpose and joy
If you're looking for a skills-based approach to help you live more fully — even in the presence of pain — DBT might be worth exploring.
Interested in learning more? I offer DBT skills training specifically designed for people living with chronic pain. You can read more about it here or get in touch if you’d like to join an upcoming group.
author: Dr Michelle Beukes-King
