ACT (Acceptance and committment therapy) What is it?

[amnesiacinsomniac]

What is ACT EXACTLY?
This form of therapy is a bit confusing. I've done some research, have gotten some worksheets to print off the net. For anyone who has experience with ACT can you please explain it to me? How did it help you? What books did you read?
Did you do this on your own? Did it help at all?

Please... I'm desperate...

 

[amnesiacinsomniac]

So!
I have posted this question about ACT in a few different sites with forums about therapy etc for Social anxiety. Nobody has responded to any of them.. whether it has worked or what it is... So i decided to find out for myself and bought two books

The Happiness Trap
Get out of your Mind and into your Life

I decided to read the Happiness Trap first....
I had my doubts but I read it with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

It is a very different approach than I am used to, I found myself thinking: but my therapist taught me the opposite of this!!!!!! What?????
But I found myself thinking... how many therapists have I seen? How many times have I tried to use their information and have it fail miserably IN THE LONG RUN? I'm talking of psychologists not psychiatrists.. meds are the stepping stones in my opinion.

I found this book extremely helpful with the problem I've been having lately, my self talk being so constant I can't focus, and being in my own skewed reality, I can't focus on my life, my goals, my values. I learned early on in the book how to *shoo* those thoughts away and focus. I finally got rid of that awful knot in my stomach, I'm not pacing my apartment. I'm not a bundle of nerves, and this book helped to sort out my head (this is what I desperately needed!)

Defusion and Expansion really helped with this. All those flying thoughts were interrupting my life and I learned how to (Defuse) them and take their power away.

While this book wasn't specified for anxiety it did help a great deal, and like the book said.. This is not a book to simply read and you will live a lovely life:
It's a reference book to the tools of ACT, and you can constantly *work* on your life, referring back to them.

So! What are the six core principles of ACT:

1. Defusion
2. Expansion
3. Connection
4. The observing self
5. Values
6. Committed Action

I find ACT to be a lot more realistic than many types of therapies I've gone through. I can tell myself, just think happy thoughts! But is that realistic or helpful? No.

I do recommend reading this book! AND doing the small exercises. Read with an open mind!

I'm curious to read the next book I bought and will also give my review on it as well!!!

 

[userremoved]

Sorry. I read only a little bit of the Happiness Trap and wouldn't have been able to explain it that well. I guess it's not as widely used as CBT.

 

[amnesiacinsomniac]

I've tried CBT myself and in my own opinion it's a great form of therapy... in theory. In reality it only sets you up to fail, and feel that therapy is a waste of time. ACT was enlightening after trying so many different things, I'm actually EXCITED about this technique.

 

[Zlajo]

I have book "Get out of your Mind and into your Life" but English is not my primary language, so it's difficult for me to read. Lot of difficult words and I stop reading this book. But after your promising review of ACT, I'll try to continue with reading. Thanks!

 

[Waybuloo]

Just wanted to say that i'm surprised not many people replied, does that mean ACT isn't that popular and wellknown as I thought it might be?

IMO also, CBT is overrated. Unless you have precision planning and military discipline, I don't think CBT would work. It certainly hasn't worked for me and i've tried it numerous times.

I did try ACT with a therapist. Whilst it didn't work due to me not having real goals and values in life, I can see more sense in its approach. Also you don't tend to feel as hard on yourself and as much a failure because there aren't so many mini goals and big goals to achieve in terms of overcoming anxiety. I do think that focusing on your life and what you want and are as a person is more productive and healthy than focusing on overcoming anxiety and/or depression.

I will check out The Happiness Trap. It seems to encompass mindfulness which i've read abit about. Mindfulness to me is so much better because it teaches compassion and self acceptance, which are important for learning to love one's self.

 

[pakistan]

the only reason you think ACT is better then the therapists is cause it happened after the therapist. So, if you were to read the book first apply that, then go to the therapist, youd be like oh therapy is better. Its a mind game

 

[Deus_Ex_Lemur]

If you're not really ready, and to do and commit yourself, no therapy will work. This is true for anything in life.

 

[ctp]

hey

I am really interested in ACT. The books by Russ Harris are OK but I recommend to down load his mp3 talks/meditations from his website.

ACT is gaining a lot of interest in the psychology field but as CBT has been so established ...ACT is taking a while to become recognised.

I have used the mp3 guided meditations and found them to be really useful. They are not very expensive and I think that you would be better spending your money using them rather than buying another book.

Cds And Books | ACT Mindfully | Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Training

ACT uses a technique called mindfulness which is also gaining interest in psychology.

with ACT rather than.... keeping trying to push away your thoughts about how lousy you are (or trying to dispute your negative thoughts)... you relax, and realise that thoughts come and go all the time... and you don't buy into what your mind is telling you. After... a (long) while.... the bad thoughts start to lose their power.

some parts of ACT were not for me... I don't like to set goals and I know my values without having to define them... but I have found the guided meditations really helpful.


take care,
ctp

 

[Zlajo]

I am just reading book "The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy". This book includes CD with worksheets, self-assessments, and guided mindfulness meditations. For me, it's much easier to read than "Get out of your mind..." (English is not my first language). I am 43 years old and I tried everything with "fight" against SA. I hope this therapy will help me to change my life. I am sick of struggle...