

The shame of the word itself increased his desire to use. He had an extreme reaction to the word “addict” and would go to great lengths to avoid labeling himself that way. Defusion creates space to regard thoughts and feelings from the perspective of a dispassionate observer, making it easier to let them go and allow more beneficial thoughts and feelings to take their place.Īndy was a high-powered lawyer with a cocaine addiction. We practiced this every time cravings arose - and eventually they became less intense.Ĭognitive Defusion – Have you ever repeated a word so often that it begins to sound funny or it completely loses its meaning? This is one way to promote cognitive defusion - to remove the (fused-together) meaning or context from thoughts, words, and feelings. The craving dissipated and he was able to continue the session. When he experienced a craving in the session, we practiced breathing into it and visualizing himself as a surfer “surfing the wave” of discomfort.

He had attempted to quit several times but experienced intense cravings that would lead back to using. William was a young college student who had been using methamphetamine initially to work late - but eventually for the high itself. When confronting addiction there are plenty of unwanted thoughts and feelings, but one of the most challenging is CRAVING. The goal is not to avoid them, block them out, or pretend they aren’t there, but to accept them, make space for them, and then continue on. Addiction adds an insidious layer of complexity because shame, guilt, self-contempt, and physiological withdrawal become feelings people also try to avoid - sometimes desperately.Īcceptance – Uncomfortable thoughts and feelings happen. Having a few drinks to ease social anxiety, using heroin to ease the pain of failure or trauma, or using methamphetamine to avoid boredom or loneliness are examples of experiential avoidance. Unlike the prescriptive, manualized nature of DBT and MBCT, ACT has been shown to b e effective for both groups and individuals, for a wide range of clinical issues, and it allows the clinician to adapt core techniques as needed.Īddiction, from an ACT perspective, is a result of experiential avoidance - the avoidance of uncomfortable and unwanted thoughts or feelings.

The advantage of ACT for practitioners is the flexibility both in how it is delivered and the population it can serve. ACT arose in the ‘third wave’ of cognitive behaviour therapies and shares some fundamental principles with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). FranklĪcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT…pronounced “Act”) offers principles and techniques that can enable people to move beyond the addictive cycle…into their future.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” - Viktor E. In that space is our power to choose our response. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. I follow with a longish comment on aspects of ACT that I find especially important. Jaime highlights core principles using examples from his practice. Here’s a guest post by a therapist who has been using ACT for clients with addictions for many years.
