Exercises for controlling your thoughts..

[AKIRA]

I've read up on some CBT/ACT stuff but am skeptical if it really works.

I know the mind is an EXTREMELY powerful thing and have heard wonderful things on CBT/ACT but have any of you had any experiences with these techniques?

I'm going through an anxiety/depression phase and am willing to try some of these things out and am completely opposed to pills as I see them more as a problem maker than a problem solver.

Is CBT/ACT more effective with a therapist or can you do it on your own successfully?

Thanks

EDIT: wow completely wrong forum haha sorry mods...

 

[Neutrino]

I personally think they are very effective. However, (and this is a big however) it takes a lot of discipline and consistency. It's not something you just do every few days. To change how your mind thinks and how it reacts to situations you have to change deeply ingrained mental habits. So you need to be actively training yourself every single day.

A lot of this kind of thing falls under the "newish" science of neuroplasticity. "Train Your Mind Change Your Brain" by Sharon Begley is an interesting read. It goes over a bit of the history and studies behind the idea that the way you perceive, think, and feel is malleable. Also has some interesting insights into buddhism and meditation.

Also, I'm not a big fan of meds such as SSRI's. However, I would not discount them entirely. They can be quite helpful for the right person and situation.

 

[Dodo]

What's CBT/ACT?
Post up some stuff as an example..

 

[Bad^Hat]

^ http://contextualpsychology.org/comparing_act_and_cbt

I tried CBT a while back but couldn't really engage it as much as I wanted because of certain circumstances. In a much better position now, gonna go back to a therapist and give it a real shot. It seems good in theory, just have to keep myself disciplined...

 

[AKIRA]

^ http://contextualpsychology.org/comparing_act_and_cbt

I tried CBT a while back but couldn't really engage it as much as I wanted because of certain circumstances. In a much better position now, gonna go back to a therapist and give it a real shot. It seems good in theory, just have to keep myself disciplined...

I heard it's extremely effective but a lot of people get discouraged when it doesn't work soon because with CBT you have to have patience...and a lot of it. If you're persistent enough you should be good.

Basically you retrain your mind into confronting whatever it is that's causing you anxiety/depression/ocd etc.

 

[Danimal]

Did you know it's possible to control other people's thoughts, to an extent?

A lot of business professionals, news reporters, politicians, Builderburg Scum etc. use it. It's often regarded as the modern shamanism in regards to it's potential perceptive-reality-altering ability.

 

[Dodo]

NLP is awesome, red up on some of it in the book The Game.
http://www.theplayersociety.com/articles/using-nlp-to-seduce-women.html :naughty:

 

[Neutrino]

I'm pretty open minded and I think everything should be given due consideration. However, I think we should have a disclaimer in this thread that NLP is not in the same league or catagory as CBT and ACT at this time. CBT and ACT are both used extensively by modern therapists and have a large amount of scientific evidence to back them up. They have been proven to work to some degree or another and fit in with our understanding of neuroplasticity. NLP is not widely accepted and does not have a scientific basis to back it up currently. Perhaps it has some truth to it, I don't know. But for the purposes of this thread and for those looking for a good way to help deal with things like depression and anxiety, I would personally recommend going the route of something that has been shown to work.

CBT and ACT are not easy, but things that work usually aren't.

 

[Tyguy]

I think the degree of effectiveness relies on the symptoms being treated. In people with OCD related to germs it's a relatively straightforward approach of exposure and response prevention, which can be heavily governed by psychiatrists. It gets much more difficult with people who suffer a greater amount in the obsessive category. For instance, somebody with trichotillomania has an easier road ahead of them as their compulsion can be closely monitored whereas those who experience a greater mental fatigue from obsessions have to rely more on their willpower and less on outside help.

 

[evil^milk]

lot of this kind of thing falls under the "newish" science of neuroplasticity. "Train Your Mind Change Your Brain" by Sharon Begley is an interesting read.

I looked over the books my dad (somewhat compulsively) buys to see if book you're saying was there, but found a different one instead. (The one I found was The Brain That Changes Itself.)

Nonetheless, it also deals with neuroplasticity, and I'm finding it to be a good read, like Oliver Sack's Musicophilia. Either way, this thread came at the right time, because now I'm fueled with interest in learning more about these things

 

[Vegeta897]

Did someone say CBT?

Ohgoddon'tclickthatseriously