Popular singer Selena Gomez was twice hospitalized in the last few weeks for a low white blood cell count, a side effect of the kidney transplant she had in her long battle with the autoimmune disease Lupus. It was during the second visit that Gomez suffered a panic attack. Overwhelmed by anxiety and depression regarding her health issues she experienced an emotional breakdown and asked to undergo Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, to help her cope with the turmoil. She is now receiving DBT at an East Coast hospital

What exactly is DBT?  Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed by University of Washington Professor of Psychology Marsha Linehan as a treatment for people who suffering from uncontrolled, or dysregulated emotions. In an excerpt from our video series If Only We Had Known: A Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder Dr. Linehan and a woman who has been treated with DBT briefly describe the therapy:

For more information about Ms. Gomez and her DBT experiences, Agnes Pawlowski of NBC News recently posted a highly informative piece on the network’s Today Show website.

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