# Anyone had success with ACT? Just seems like rubbish to me



## bottleofblues (Aug 6, 2008)

ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy) that basically involves just observing your thoughts without judgement being mindful. I just don't see how passively observing your unhelpful thoughts will change anything. Like i have a real problem with OCD the pure - O type just OCD thoughts, eg i have a real problem with constantly counting.
So i bought this book that promotes ACT and i find myself just observing myself counting but i still carry on doing it anyway. Like how is just observing and being mindful going to stop these pointless thoughts?!
I don't see how you can just be separate and impartial to your thoughts the human brain does not work that way. Like if you have a thought 'i'm a pink chicken' you can just observe that thought as a stupid rubbish thought and move on, but if you have a thought that 'i'm a complete failure at life' how can you have that thought and not let it have any effect on you?! Especially if you believe it to be true.
Its B.S, that famous psychotherapist Beck proved the direct link of thoughts and mood, yet ACT implies that we should not be affected by our thoughts. Just seems like another hocus pocus therapy that is hyped up but just seems like bollocks to me.


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## VanDamme (Jun 8, 2004)

Having met many people over the years, I've found that different people prefer different approaches.

Everyone wants change, but what change means varies. I was interested in "full change" (i.e. completely removing SA symptoms) and have found techniques to do so. Others just want to "manage" and aren't as interested in removing the symptoms as long as they can do what they want.

ACT falls under the "manage" category. You're right, the thoughts and feelings remain but if you do it long enough then those issues won't bother you. The approach reminds me of meditation that I did. There are a few types of meditations but the most relevant one is where you label everything that comes into your awareness, and eventually you become a "detached observer". At that point, the thoughts and emotions lose their "charge" and won't bother you. It's an interesting experience. While it didn't reduce the SA symptoms, it made it easier to go through the experience.

For actual change, there are other techniques. If interested, check out my post for some true "shortcuts": http://www.socialanxietysupport.com...e-a-presentation-when-1635450/#post1082847698


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## bottleofblues (Aug 6, 2008)

VanDamme said:


> Having met many people over the years, I've found that different people prefer different approaches.
> 
> Everyone wants change, but what change means varies. I was interested in "full change" (i.e. completely removing SA symptoms) and have found techniques to do so. Others just want to "manage" and aren't as interested in removing the symptoms as long as they can do what they want.
> 
> ...


'Long enough' being how long 6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months? Really how long of just passively observing my OCD will make me less likely to indulge in it? Maybe 6 life times?
Its just another overhyped flaky piece of **** therapy like CBT and the lie that is anti depressants promoted by pharmaceutical companies with a financial interest.
Appreciate your reply VanDamme though, i feel a bit pissed off that i have had so little response on this topic, ACT seems to be as much as an overly promoted method as CBT yet i've received very little replies on this subject defending it or attacking it.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me but would just like to hear others opinion on this, SA isn't a problem like it used to be for me though general anxiety paranoia and especially OCD is though.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

bottleofblues said:


> ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy) that basically involves just observing your thoughts without judgement being mindful. I just don't see how passively observing your unhelpful thoughts will change anything. Like i have a real problem with OCD the pure - O type just OCD thoughts, eg i have a real problem with constantly counting.
> So i bought this book that promotes ACT and i find myself just observing myself counting but i still carry on doing it anyway. Like how is just observing and being mindful going to stop these pointless thoughts?!
> I don't see how you can just be separate and impartial to your thoughts the human brain does not work that way. Like if you have a thought 'i'm a pink chicken' you can just observe that thought as a stupid rubbish thought and move on, but if you have a thought that 'i'm a complete failure at life' how can you have that thought and not let it have any effect on you?! Especially if you believe it to be true.
> Its B.S, that famous psychotherapist Beck proved the direct link of thoughts and mood, yet ACT implies that we should not be affected by our thoughts. Just seems like another hocus pocus therapy that is hyped up but just seems like bollocks to me.


I guess in your case there are two possibilities.

1)The book wasn't that great, and hasn't really shown you how to perform the techniques properly, esp as relates to pure O.
2)The techniques don't work well for OCD (esp pure OCD).

I also have pure O OCD (though its much less than it once was). I spoke to a therapist recently who said that the difference between me and her was that I would have an intrusive thought and would 'let it bother me'.

But that isn't right _at all_. She is working on the hypothesis that our brains are basically identical, and function in an identical way, but my thoughts are distorted, and I can simply alter my thinking. What I believe is really happening is that there is a physiological malfunction in the OCD brain that causes the _urge_ to ruminate about the intrusive thoughts. Therapists tend to downplay physiological causation (if they even consider it a possibility at all).

That being said, it still might be possible to _reduce_ your symptoms / distress. Part of my own reduction in OCD symptoms is that I now give far less of a **** about 'social morality' (moral issues were my OCD undoing). I suspect that ACT could be beneficial in this kind of area. Rather than your thoughts themselves being reduced, ACT might help to negate the 'badness' of whatever it is that triggers your OCD to attack you.

Pure O is a very peculiar animal. It will typically need treatment that is customised specifically for it. So if the book you read wasn't addressing pure O OCD specifically, its likely the treatment wasn't of the optimal form. This is like in CBT where if you do thought challenging (the standard treatment for depression) on pure O, you make things far far worse.


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## VanDamme (Jun 8, 2004)

From my and others' experience the average time to reach a certain level of "skill" is at least a few months minimum. There are exceptions but those are rare.

Therapy topic doesn't seem to be visited much. It might be better to ask your question in Coping with Social Anxiety if you want more feedback. At support groups I've heard about people using ACT but rarely. Heard a lot more going with CBT though. But that may just be my experience.

As for the approach, it's kind of like music. Everyone has their taste, so you may need to explore a few approaches and find the one that first your situation and particular issue.

I've come across a lot of "strange" issues that were resolved with various techniques. The common element was that instead of addressing the conscious part of the mind, they addressed subconscious processes. e.g. CBT is good for addressing thinking but isn't effective for the emotional component - the part that often can be the actual issue. There is also the habit aspect: we get really good with certain things that we repeat. So, breaking that can be tricky but for certain issues if you do enough (usually mean a lot of) interruptions that can break the pattern. Of course, I'm talking about "regular" habits and don't have much experience with OCD, other than things I read and heard. 

But I know some techniques that can deal with the subconscious part really well, when done right. There's still a lot we don't know about the brain but if you're interested in a little exploring, that may at least make things a little easier, let me know.


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