How DBT Can Help Young Adults Navigate Existential Crises

Young adulthood is often a time of self-discovery, change, and uncertainty. Many young adults experience existential crises—periods of intense questioning about their purpose, identity, and the meaning of life. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can be a valuable resource for navigating these challenges. Developed initially to treat individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder, DBT’s practical skills and principles have proven effective for a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including existential distress.

What is an Existential Crisis?

An existential crisis involves feelings of:

• Disconnection from oneself or others.
• Doubt about one’s purpose or meaning in life.
• Overwhelm when confronted with life’s uncertainties or inevitable mortality.
• Loneliness stemming from a sense of isolation or lack of direction.

While these feelings can be unsettling, they are also opportunities for growth and deeper self-understanding.

How DBT Addresses Existential Distress

DBT equips individuals with skills to manage intense emotions and gain clarity in their lives. Here’s how it can help:

1. Mindfulness Skills

• Encourages individuals to focus on the present moment, reducing rumination about the past or fear of the future.
• Promotes non-judgmental awareness, allowing individuals to explore existential questions with curiosity instead of anxiety.

2. Distress Tolerance

• Provides tools to cope with overwhelming feelings of uncertainty or despair.
• Skills such as self-soothing and radical acceptance help individuals tolerate the discomfort of existential questioning.

3. Emotional Regulation

• Helps individuals identify and manage intense emotions that often accompany existential crises.
• Encourages building a life aligned with values to foster a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

4. Interpersonal Effectiveness

• Improves communication and relationship skills, combating feelings of isolation.
• Encourages setting boundaries and cultivating meaningful connections, which can bring clarity and grounding.

5. Validation

• Teaches individuals to validate their own feelings and experiences, reducing self-judgment.
• Creates space for accepting the discomfort of not having all the answers.

Practical Applications for Young Adults

• Exploring Identity: Mindfulness can help young adults sit with uncertainty and explore their sense of self.
• Building Purpose: Emotional regulation skills support aligning daily actions with long-term values and goals.
• Finding Connection: Interpersonal effectiveness fosters authentic relationships, grounding young adults in shared human experiences.
• Managing Uncertainty: Distress tolerance skills build resilience when facing life’s unpredictable nature.

Final Thoughts

DBT provides young adults with practical tools to navigate the emotional storms of an existential crisis. By learning to tolerate discomfort, cultivate mindfulness, and build a values-driven life, individuals can emerge from these crises with a stronger sense of purpose and connection. If you or someone you know is struggling with existential distress, consider exploring DBT as a pathway toward growth and healing.