Among the goals of DBT-SUD are to:
- Become more aware of urges to drink or use and tolerate or reduce them
- Increase motivation to stop abusing alcohol or drugs; manage difficult emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger without alcohol or drugs
- Structure the environment to support substance-free living
SUD-DBT is for those who have co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues. Participants strive for dialectical abstinence, being 100 percent clean and sober, yet mindful that a harm reduction model may be necessary.