Posted by baseball55 on January 6, 2019, at 19:04:02
In reply to What are your experiences with ACT compared to CBT, posted by Hordak on January 6, 2019, at 14:13:00
I'm not sure exactly what ACT is. But from the wikipedia entry, it seems to be a lot like DBT. I found DBT very helpful and CBT totally useless for depression.
This is because CBT approaches depression as a result of cognitive distortion - my boss criticized me, therefore I am a loser and can't do anything right. My friend didn't return my phone call, therefore she must hate me because I am not likable.
I suppose there are people for whom depression is mostly driven by negative thoughts about oneself, but this was never the issue for me. I had/have fairly high self-esteem and realistic reactions to people/events. But I get overwhelmed by feelings of despair and hopelessness that have no triggering thoughts at all.
DBT, on the other hand (and it seems that ACT is derived from DBT), focuses on coping skills rather than cognitive triggers. So you begin with the reality of severe depression and ask, how can I cope with this and keep myself safe and alive? And the answer is by learning to accept your feelings and learn to act mindfully so you can get some relief from overwhelming negative feelings.
I'm not sure what the "commitment" part of ACT means.
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> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptance_and_commitment_therapy
poster:baseball55
thread:1102701
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20161002/msgs/1102703.html