Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that was developed by Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s, primarily to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). It’s based on the idea of balancing acceptance and change, helping individuals develop skills to manage intense emotions, build healthier relationships, and cope with distress.

DBT focuses on four main skill sets:

Mindfulness: Learning to stay present in the moment, rather than being caught up in thoughts or emotional reactivity. It’s about observing without judgment and accepting what is happening in the present.

Distress Tolerance: Building the ability to tolerate and survive crises without resorting to unhealthy behaviors. This involves techniques like self-soothing, distraction, and improving the moment.

Emotion Regulation: Understanding and managing intense emotions without letting them take control. It involves recognizing, labeling, and changing emotions in a healthy way.

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Developing skills to navigate relationships in a way that is both assertive and respectful. This includes skills for saying no, setting boundaries, and asking for what you need.

DBT is often used for people with self-destructive behaviors, like self-harm, suicidal ideation, or chronic emotional dysregulation. It has also been adapted for use in various other contexts, such as treating eating disorders, substance use disorders, PTSD, and depression.

The “dialectical” aspect of DBT refers to the idea that two seemingly opposite things can both be true at once — such as the need to accept things as they are while also striving for change. It’s about finding a balance between these two perspectives.

Shervan K Shahhian

Rigid thinking, how to escape it:

Escaping rigid thinking — great question. It’s something a lot of people struggle with, especially in times of stress or when dealing with deeply rooted beliefs.

Here are some ways to break free from it:

1. Recognize You’re Doing It

The first step is noticing when your thinking is rigid. Clues include:

Black-and-white or all-or-nothing thinking.

Getting defensive when challenged.

Feeling uncomfortable with ambiguity or change.

Ask yourself: “Am I holding this belief too tightly?” or “Am I reacting or responding?”

2. Practice Cognitive Flexibility

This means consciously entertaining multiple perspectives:

Try thinking: “What’s another way to look at this?”

Use thought experiments: “If someone I respect disagreed with me, what might they say?”

3. Embrace Uncertainty

Rigid thinking often comes from the need for control. Learn to tolerate not knowing. Meditative practices, like mindfulness or even can train the mind to sit with uncertainty.

4. Challenge Core Beliefs

Sometimes rigidity is built on outdated or inherited beliefs. Question:

Is this still true for me?

Where did I learn this?

What evidence supports or contradicts this belief?

5. Expose Yourself to Contradictory Ideas

Read books or listen to people with very different perspectives — especially ones that make you uncomfortable. The goal isn’t to agree, but to stretch your mental frame.

6. Work with Emotions

Rigid thinking is often emotional. When you feel fear, shame, or anger around a belief, that’s a signal. Explore the emotion — what is it protecting? What story is it telling?

7. Creative Play

Art, writing, improvisation, or even lucid dreaming can unlock nonlinear thinking. Space to play = space to think differently.

Shervan K Shahhian

Carl Jung’s psychology — often called Analytical Psychology — is a rich and deep system that explores not just the conscious mind, but also the unconscious, archetypes, symbols, dreams, and the process of individuation. 

Here’s a breakdown of the core ideas:

1. The PsycheJung divided the psyche into several layers:

Conscious mind — what we are aware of.

Personal unconscious — memories, thoughts, and feelings not currently in conscious awareness.

Collective unconscious — a deeper level containing archetypes and shared human experiences.

 2. ArchetypesThese are universal, inherited patterns or symbols found in myths, dreams, art, and religions. Key archetypes include:

The Self — the totality of the psyche, aiming for wholeness.

The Shadow — the hidden, repressed parts of ourselves.

The Anima/Animus — the feminine side in men (anima), and the masculine side in women (animus).

The Persona — the mask we wear in social settings.

 3. IndividuationThis is the process of becoming your true self — a journey toward integration of the conscious and unconscious, leading to psychological wholeness. It involves facing the shadow, working with archetypes, and developing a balanced ego-Self relationship.

4. Dream AnalysisJung saw dreams as messages from the unconscious, often loaded with symbolic meaning. They guide the dreamer toward individuation.

 5. SynchronicityThis is the idea of meaningful coincidences — when internal states (like thoughts or emotions) align with external events in a way that feels deeply significant, though not causally linked.

 6. TypologyJung developed a personality typology based on:

Introversion vs. Extraversion

Four functions: Thinking, Feeling, Sensation, Intuition

This formed the basis for the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator).

 Spiritual & Mystical DimensionsJung had a strong interest in alchemy, Gnosticism, Eastern religions, and the occult. He saw spiritual transformation as central to psychological health.

Shervan K Shahhian

That statement — “Until death, all defeat is psychological” — is philosophically true, depending on how you look at it. Let’s unpack it.

Why it could be true:

Mindset is everything: A person can fail repeatedly and still not consider themselves defeated. As long as the will remains, so does the potential for resurgence. This echoes stoic and existentialist thinking.

Psychological resilience: In war, sports, relationships, and personal goals — people bounce back from what looks like utter failure because they don’t internalize defeat. They mentally choose to continue.

Historical examples: Mandela, Malcolm X, Viktor Frankl — people who were imprisoned, humiliated, even tortured, and yet came out spiritually or mentally stronger. To them, defeat was never final unless they gave in mentally.

But there are caveats:

Physical or external limitations can sometimes overrule the psychological. Someone can want to stand, run, or continue — but illness, injury, or oppression may block that. So, the “defeat” in that case may be physical too.

Denial vs. resilience: Some people might refuse to see they’ve lost out of pride, not strength. So the mindset alone isn’t always a virtue — it depends on clarity and purpose.

So if you’re asking existentially or spiritually — then yes:
True. All defeat is psychological until death.

If you’re asking literally or practically — then:
Partially true, with context-dependent exceptions.

Shervan K Shahhian

(Please consult your medical doctor for further information.)

A Neuropsychological Assessment (or Neuropsych Assessment) is a comprehensive evaluation of how a person’s brain is functioning. It’s used to understand cognitive strengths and weaknesses by testing various mental abilities. These assessments are done by clinical psychologists with specialized training in neuropsychology.

What It Measures:

Neuropsych assessments test a wide range of cognitive functions, such as:

Memory (short-term, long-term, visual, verbal)

Attention and concentration

Executive functions (planning, organizing, problem-solving, self-control)

Language skills (understanding and producing speech)

Visual-spatial skills (understanding visual information)

Motor skills

Emotional and psychological functioning

Why It’s Done:

Neuropsychological testing can help:

Diagnose conditions like ADHD, dementia, learning disorders, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or psychiatric conditions.

Understand the impact of a brain injury or illness.

Guide treatment planning and educational or occupational support.

Monitor cognitive changes over time (e.g., in Alzheimer’s or MS).

What It Involves:

A clinical interview (medical, developmental, educational, psychological history)

Paper-and-pencil or computerized tests

Observations of behavior during testing

Sometimes questionnaires for family, teachers, or caregivers

Duration:

Can take 2 to 8 hours, depending on the referral question and how comprehensive the testing needs to be.

Shervan K Shahhian

Borderline Personality Disorder, what is it:

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by significant emotional instability, impulsivity, and difficulties in relationships. Individuals with BPD often experience intense, fluctuating moods, a distorted self-image, and a fear of abandonment. Their relationships can be marked by extremes, such as idealizing someone one moment and devaluing them the next.

Some common symptoms include:

Emotional instability: Intense emotional reactions to situations, often feeling overwhelmed by emotions.

Fear of abandonment: Extreme efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, such as frantic attempts to maintain relationships.

Unstable relationships: Switching between seeing others as all good or all bad, often referred to as “splitting.”

Impulsive behaviors: Risky behaviors such as reckless driving, unsafe sex, or substance abuse.

Self-image issues: A shaky sense of self, often leading to a lack of direction in life.

Chronic feelings of emptiness: A persistent feeling of being hollow or empty inside.

Intense anger or difficulty controlling anger: Episodes of anger that seem disproportionate to the situation.

Dissociation: Feeling disconnected from oneself, as if in a dream-like state.

BPD can be challenging to diagnose and treat due to the overlapping symptoms with other mental health conditions, but therapy, particularly Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), has been found effective in helping individuals manage symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Shervan K Shahhian