ACT Treatment For PTSD

[adrian_newbridge]

Has anyone else on here had this therapy, it's called Acceptance and Committment Therapy. I think it's based on mindfulness tecniques and I've been having it for about six weeks now. It seems to be slowly making a difference to me and changing my thought patterns in a positive way. I'm starting to accept I've got PTSD and all that goes with it and dealing with the hallucinations and intrusive thoughts instead if fighting them and trying to make them go away. My psychologist said one of the best things to me the other day, " Try stepping off the battlefield for a while and let your thoughts just happen instead of fighting them. I thought that was brilliant and I'm trying to do that as much as I can, sometimes I can, sometimes I can't but it's helping. It looks like a lot of this therapy is taken from a book called Get out of your mind and into your life.

 

[kers]

I'm starting to accept I've got PTSD and all that goes with it and dealing with the hallucinations and intrusive thoughts instead if fighting them and trying to make them go away.

Although my counselor doesn't follow any proscribed methodology, his approach definitely puts a lot of stock into the acceptance model. It's helped me because even though there's a lot I *want* to change about my life, there's a lot that simply won't. And I find that there's great value in accepting myself how I am right now, instead of always getting ten steps ahead to what I'd rather be.

 

[liv now]

Hi my therapist uses ACt too. i find it great. where I live (Australia) there is a book called "The Happiness Trap" by Doctor Russ Harris. the author of the book you were talking about endorses this book I think. when I am not triggered ACt works well. I have not been able to use it very well yet when I am triggered as I am too overwhelmed to think to use it.

 

[adrian_newbridge]

Thanks for getting back on this one, I find it hard to focus especially when I've been triggered, but I will keep working at it but I won't beat myself up if I can't use the methods in this therapy, I suppose thats me starting to accept who and what I am right now. I'm trying to live in the moment as they say. I suppose four years of illness wont be changed in just a few weeks or even months of this therapy, but it's slowly starting to work I think. I will have a look at that book. Thanks once again you two, take good care of yourselves.:thumbs-up

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Yes, My new therapist practices this!

I hadn't heard of it until I became a patient of hers...she simply explained it to me in these terms....

It is a heck of a lot easier than CBT because CBT attempts to change thought patterns, whereas ACT just says to ignore the intrusive thoughts....and since it has been proven quite difficult to change thought patterns, ACT is much easier...

 

[adrian_newbridge]

Glad you are getting something out of it as well. I'm going to stick at it, hope you can to. Thanks ScaredofLonely.

 

[Jade-]

Hello everyone.

I recently read a book called 'Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Anxiety Disorders:A Practitioner's Treatment Guide to Using Mindfulness,Acceptance,And Values-Based Behavior Change Strategies'. I believe it has been THE most helpful I have read so far.

It was written specifically for anxiety disorders, but I have found it works for just about anything,including rage, suicidal thoughts and sexual problems.

I have spent my entire life fighting intrusive thoughts and urges, thinking that by fighting them I could get rid of them. I believed that was the only thing I could do. This book is different than others I have read because it teaches how to accept thoughts for what they are; mere thoughts. Instead of fighting them, you're supposed to accept them.

I haven't completely turned my life around or anything, but I am already starting to notice a small difference. Like when I get caught up in the suicidal thinking. When my mind goes there, and I feel so hopeless and think ending it all is the solution,if I can accept that they're 'just' thoughts and I don't have to believe them or act on them, it makes a huge difference.

It sounds simple, but it's really not. It takes alot of work and practice and determination. But I do believe it's something that's going to work for me. And something that I plan on practicing every day.

There's alot of books out there about ACT and mindfulness,but I really liked this one.

 

[Philippa]

Yes, I was heavily into mindfulness in my early twenties, so it kinda paved the way for me prior to the traumas that caused me to have ptsd, and is probably significantly responsable for how far I have come and been able to cope on my own.

It definitely got me through the suicidal times, and when I was hearing voices telling me to kill myself. I was able to distinguish that they are just thoughts, and they have no power over me...so that helped. Just realizing the transitory nature of thoughts and feelings is extremely important if you are going to survive any sort of mental illness or trauma related anxiety and urges to self-harm.

I have fallen out of practise with it though, so this is a good reminder of what I know does work.

Thanks for digging up the thread Jadebear.

 

[freakofnurture]

My Inner Critic and my fears would crush me if I'd stop fighting them by distracting myself. Distraction pushes them at least partly out of my consciousness so they are easier to bear.

 

[maddog]

Have recently been doing some increased reading, and some attempt at increased actioning, of some of the core premises of ACT, and I agree it's logical, practical and very conducive to managing so much of the internal warfare and consequent value judgments of self that are such a critical stumbling block when dealing with PTSD, or most likely any mental illness.

And I have actually recently experienced some very tangible relief in the concentration of my focus onto the fact that thoughts and feelings are merely thoughts and feelings, and that they are transient, not reflective of reality and will soon be replaced by others. I like the reality of this way of thinking. It doesn't paint a rose coloured picture of everything being about to get better, or place the responsibility for feeling better onto me an my capacity to fight away negative feelings, but merely acknowledges the reality that life is a shifting, ever-changing canvas of thoughts and feelings and experiences, and none of them singularly define reality or commit us to living or being a certain way.

There is actually real hope and comfort in this knowledge for me, it's one of the few mindsets that actually does help during the very dark and triggered times, and it translates for me into a sense that if I can just be very still and wait, I will stop feeling so unbearably terrible at some point. For some reason, that has actually helped me of late.

Maddog

 

[The Albatross]

Got "The Happiness Trap" and am going through it... there has been some benefit just in the last few weeks. I attended a web seminar last year and was very interested. I think that it is something that can be very helpful to me, if I consistently try to practice some of the techniques.

 

[shell]

I was given an audio CD on the mindful way through depression. I found it to be excellent, it made a huge difference in how I dealt with suicidal thoughts and my depression from being swamped by flashbacks, very early after being told I had PTSD, during a time where I was out of therapy.

It didn't stop the flashbacks, but I have learned as part of my current therapy to accept them, and to stop fighting them. I have learned to listen and learn, I was compounding my stress by fighting myself, my feelings and refusing to accept the truth. I think there is a place for ACT, as part of an overall approach.