Avoidance
True or False: When we engage in avoidance, the belief is confirmed that we can't tolerate the anticipated anxiety/ distress that we avoided.
True!
What does cognitive defusion mean?
A skill to help you get some distance from unhelpful/ distressing thoughts. This skill aims at allowing thoughts come and go, without getting stuck on them.
What is the first step to practicing opposite action?
Identify your emotion!
Name some qualities of a healthy relationship.
Trust, healthy conflict, respect, honesty, independence, equality, etc.
What's your dream vacation destination?
Bali, Hawaii, or London
What is a target behavior?
A behavior you do in response to feeling anxious/ distressed to reduce anxiety - This behavior perpetuates avoidance.
What is a helpful question to ask yourself to identify if a thought is unwanted/ unhelpful?
Is this thought helpful to be in this present moment?
Is this thought taking me away from who I want to be?
Will this thought help me reach my goals?
What is an action urge?
the natural, immediate behavioral response that accompanies an emotion
Name some qualities of an unhealthy relationship.
Sabotaging the other person's success/ reputation, intensity/ extreme feelings, isolation from other relationships, belittling the other person, deflecting responsibility.
What's the last movie/ TV show that made you cry?
Shameless
What is an example of a target behavior?
Rumination. I ruminate so much about my depression that I feel worse and get stuck, so I can't do the BAs that would be helpful to me.
How does rumination/ worry impact your behaviors?
When I ruminate, I get so frustrated/ stuck that I want to give up on my goals.
Share an action urge and an opposite action for depression.
Laying in bed all day.
Taking a shower and getting ready to leave the house.
Share a personal example of a healthy relationship and what you do to maintain it.
The relationship with my partner is healthy because we both contribute time, energy, and effort. I maintain it by offering love, support, and validation while holding myself accountable to household chores.
If you could get rid of one veggie immediately, which one would you choose?
Beets
Share an example of behavioral avoidance.
Calling into treatment so you don't have to see your therapist.
Judgments are 1 area of fused thoughts. What sort of judgmental/ evaluative thinking gets you hooked?
Self-critical thoughts keep me stuck when I struggle with body image issues.
Share an action urge and an opposite action for love.
Looking at your ex's social media. Ruminating about them.
Unfriending your ex and maintaining healthy, firm boundaries. Practicing self-love.
My friend would sabotage my recovery by offering me alcohol so I set firm, clear boundaries with them and repeatedly told them "No" when they would beg me to drink with them.
What is your zodiac sign? Do you relate to it?
Libra. I try to be balanced.
Share an example of cognitive avoidance, which is avoiding thinking about/ paying attention to something that causes anxiety.
Constantly listening to podcasts so you don't have to pay attention to how your emotions feel.
Name one cognitive defusion strategy.
"I'm having the thought that..."
Sing the thought
Say the thought in a silly voice
Leaves on the Stream meditation
Give an example of acting opposite "all the way" in a personal situation.
I felt depressed, so I asked my spouse to play a board game with me and I fully participated in the game and in discussion with him, and I ended up enjoying myself. I resisted isolation!
Who is someone you plan on spending quality time with this weekend?
If nobody comes to mind, who could you reach out to for support this weekend?
My partner, my best friend, 988.
If you could immediately gain one ability, what would it be?
Photographic memory!