Dialectical Dilemmas in DBT: Three Pairs of Problematic Behavioral Patterns

1- There are 6 problematic behavioral patterns paired together:

• Emotional vulnerability vs self-invalidation
• Unrelenting crisis vs inhibited grieving
• Active passivity vs apparent competence

2- For each of the 3 dilemmas, there is a biological component and a social component.

3- Identifying, balancing, and synthesizing dialectical dilemmas is a goal of the DBT therapist.