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The Secret to Facing Difficult Emotions: Why Acceptance Is the Solution
When faced with difficult emotions, many people resort to avoidance or repression to deal with these feelings. However, an emerging therapeutic approach—Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—advocates a very different approach: acceptance. This type of psychotherapy does not encourage people to eliminate bad feelings, but rather accepts and understands them, providing support for difficult emotions in life.
The core of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is psychological flexibility, which allows people to face unpleasant emotions without choosing to escape or rebound, and thus be able to act in a direction that is valuable to them.
According to psychologists, the key to ACT is the ability to accept. It is not about eliminating sad feelings, but about learning to coexist peacefully with these feelings. ACT was first proposed in 1982 by Steven Hayes, a pioneer of this therapy, to help people understand and face their emotions, thereby avoiding the deeper psychological distress caused by avoiding emotions.
ACT is not only about accepting emotions, but more importantly, about "moving toward valuable behaviors." This means being able to choose a life path that reflects one's personal values, even in the face of unpleasant emotions. In fact, these values can be deep relationships between people, achievements in work, or the process of personal growth.
The Importance of AcceptanceAccepting negative emotions helps us develop a healthier relationship with our experiences. One study showed that lack of psychological flexibility is often associated with various forms of psychopathology, such as anxiety and depression. ACT improves people's mental health by helping them increase this flexibility.
Acceptance, as Hayes says, is key because it enables people to face their difficulties more effectively, rather than letting them control their lives.
Effective acceptance techniques include cognitive defusion, contact with the present moment, and identifying personal values. These techniques work together to allow people to experience life in a more open state, rather than responding to emotions in a passive manner.
ACT in Practice
The practice of ACT involves a series of techniques and exercises that help individuals learn to accept and understand their emotions. For example, through mindfulness practice, individuals can observe their thoughts and emotions more clearly and learn not to view these feelings as labels that define themselves or their behaviors. In addition, ACT encourages people to set specific action goals that are closely aligned with their personal values.
Many studies have found that ACT is effective in improving mental health. A 2020 meta-analysis found that ACT showed promising results for conditions such as anxiety, depression, and addiction, and that its effects were similar to those of traditional cognitive behavioral therapy.
Facing a challenging future
Despite its promising therapeutic results, ACT still faces criticism. For example, some experts point out that some of ACT's research methods are not rigorous enough and question its uniqueness and effectiveness. In this context, supporters of ACT also say that they do not present themselves as a panacea, but rather hope to coexist with other therapies to provide patients with a variety of treatment options.
“ACCT is not intended to replace other psychotherapies, but rather to offer a new perspective that can help people better cope with difficult emotions and thus make their lives more meaningful.”
In summary, ACT is a revolutionary psychotherapy that encourages people to explore and accept their inner world and use it as a basis for moving towards a more meaningful life. Are you ready to start accepting and exploring difficult emotions?
