Dialectical behavior therapy for comorbid personality disorders

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was originally designed as a treatment of emotionally dysregulated, impulsive, and dramatic disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder) and populations (e.g., parasuicidal women). However, a number of complex disorders represent the dialectical opposite of BPD and related disorders; these disorders are characterized by being overcontrolled, emotionally constricted, perfectionistic, and highly risk-averse. In this article, the authors introduce a recent adaptation of DBT that targets cognitive-behavioral rigidity and emotional constriction and illustrates its application through the case of a man suffering from both paranoid personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.