The classifications of psychological disorders and their therapeutic approaches change, evolve. A third-generation therapy model, acceptance and commitment therapy, explains that much of the psychological suffering is a consequence of the obsessive avoidance disorder.
It is necessary to illustrate the obsessive avoidance disorder so that we can understand it in a simple way, a situation conducive to re-speaking is a situation considered undesirable by the person suffering from this disorder, so that, in order not to come into contact with it, they try to avoid it or escape it.
- In this sense.
- It is good to point out: not wanting to come into contact with discomfort.
- Or wanting to flee rather than accept it.
- Is not a disorder; It is a normal response observed in all animals.
- Both human and non-human.
- The problem occurs when there are rigid thoughts.
- Such as ‘I have to be good at doing things’.
- ‘I need to feel happy to be able to go back to work’.
- Or can’t I stand being nervous.
- Do I need it to end now?’unease that doesn’t give us rest.
Diagnostic criteria for experience avoidance disorder would be
The origin of experience avoidance is psychological rigidity when managing discomfort, either to avoid it or to escape it, this lack of adaptation causes an experience avoidance disorder, causing the life of the sufferer to move avoiding painful sensations or thoughts.
Psychological rigidity occurs when a person approaches painful thoughts, emotions, or memories, so there is no flexibility to continue daily activities that promote well-being, although there may be one or more sources of discomfort. Is there a rigid idea?necessity?as a prerequisite to take advantage of any type of activity or task.
When a person has a psychological problem, such as anxiety or depression, this inflexibility greatly worsens the situation, do not accept the discomfort that leads to anxiety or depression, and try to eliminate it to resume life has two consequences:
We live in a society that promotes the well-being, pleasure and maintenance of everything that is as far away from suffering as possible, is misseen to cry, be sad or feel anxiety, and when we experience some of these sensations. or emotions, we fight hard against them.
To the extent that we become the key and central element of our lives, we fall into its trap, for it is the pursuit of perfect well-being that makes us remain vigilant, identifying on our radar the negative emotions that are normal and adaptive.
That is, when we are aware of what is good or bad, we end up detecting any type of unpleasant psychological experience, no matter how small, and extending its significance, to try to put aside these negative psychological experiences (thoughts and emotions). , all we can do is strengthen them.
Socially the consequences of experience avoidance disorder are very important, the person expects to be well to go to the movies, be with friends, resume studies, have commitments and a lot of time, etc. , many customs develop to avoid unpleasant psychological experiences. over the months and years, life revolves only around escape.
In this way, we can become true specialists in what we do not want, exclusively defining our desires and longings for the absence of what we want to avoid, in this way our identity and our projection of the future end up being very poor.
Thus, psychologically, experience avoidance only worsens the symptoms associated with discomfort and impoverishes the emotional life of the individual, and that is why acceptance and commitment therapy (developed to overcome the obsessive avoidance disorder) is aimed at accepting discomfort and setting goals that respond to personal values.
First, the solution to this disorder lies in the acceptance, unconditional and judgmentless observation of psychological experiences, such as thoughts, emotions and feelings, to achieve this goal acceptance and commitment therapy uses different strategies, such as mindfulness, cognitive detoxification and therapeutic metaphors.
Second, the treatment of experience avoidance focuses on restoring the importance of personal values to the impulsive emotions and behaviors of the moment; this therapeutic approach is part of the connotation of ‘commitment’, that is, we work to make people commit to their values, no matter what. Seek to put aside the fight against discomfort, to focus on the struggle to fill life with precious activities for oneself.
Combating this disorder is a difficult task and involves a difficult path, yet we need to free ourselves from the traps of rigid thinking and beliefs that, in search of good, lead us to worsen. accepting the discomfort that occurs day by day will make us feel freer and happier.