# acceptance and commitment therapy



## acoc100 (Apr 6, 2008)

a


----------



## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

I like ACT. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for anxiety has been helpful to me.


----------



## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

I wish I could shout it from the rooftops Mindfulness and Acceptance therapy really, really works!!! And it's almost too simple to be true...just stop fighting the anxiety and accept it. I have definitely seen improvements with both social anxiety and depression since I started applying this method about a year ago.


----------



## antonina (Oct 25, 2008)

I have been hearing about this. It is good to know that people here are having good outcomes with it.


----------



## low (Sep 27, 2009)

Yeah. I'm doing something different but the guy doing it also uses value as a key principle to social success.

What is mindfulness though? I meen I know what it is, but what's the concept applied to this therapy? Is it a cover term for different talking mechanisms and how you sell yourself etc? Or is it be mindful/think of what you say? Because that seems counter productive and often leads people to stop mid speech, mumble, panic etc like many SA do.


----------



## Keith (Aug 30, 2008)

My therapist just recommended i read the happiness trap last week, glad to hear its helped you I'll definitely have to pick it up. My therapist is really into mindfulness stuff and deep breathing and all that.


----------



## Keith (Aug 30, 2008)

low said:


> Yeah. I'm doing something different but the guy doing it also uses value as a key principle to social success.
> 
> What is mindfulness though? I meen I know what it is, but what's the concept applied to this therapy? Is it a cover term for different talking mechanisms and how you sell yourself etc? Or is it be mindful/think of what you say? Because that seems counter productive and often leads people to stop mid speech, mumble, panic etc like many SA do.


mindfulness is all about staying in the moment and awareness of the present moment and trying not to worry about the future or regret the past but just try to live in the present


----------



## low (Sep 27, 2009)

Keith said:


> mindfulness is all about staying in the moment and awareness of the present moment and trying not to worry about the future or regret the past but just try to live in the present


Cheers.


----------



## sberkley (Jan 28, 2010)

I have been trying to live in the moment for years , it does help with anxiety .


----------



## acoc100 (Apr 6, 2008)

a


----------



## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

acoc100 said:


> Acceptance of emotions particularly distressing ones (anxiety, panic ..etc) and being willing to allow them to be there is another aspect of the mindfulness incorporated in ACT.


ACOC, that's a pretty good definition of mindfulness. The particular aspect you mentioned above, is what I have found very helpful. I have experienced the lessening in symptoms when you commit to letting the negative emotions or thoughts exist without becoming reactive. It's like you move through the anxiety and come out on the other side of it. As much as we would rather avoid feeling anxious, fighting it doesn't help. Even if we're only fighting it in our minds.  
Anxiety is a lot like getting caught in an undercurrent, I think. If you panic and begin to fight for your life you will drown. But if you go with the current, eventually you will be able to swim free of it. It takes a lot of nerve to not fight because it feels like if you do you will drown. But in the end not fighting is what saves you. That's what mindfulness teaches you.


----------



## lyricalillusions (Nov 29, 2008)

CBT isn't something that ever worked for me, & ACT just seems better overall. Hopefully it'll help me some some since nothing else does.


----------

