Do You Know About Acceptance Therapy?

Acceptance therapy – sometimes called acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT – is a relatively new form of psychotherapy for people suffering from various forms of stigmatism. Say you’re obese – ACT immediately accepts the thought, “Everybody hates me.” The thought is viewed without passion, and the statement is sometimes restated as, “I’m having the thought that everybody hates me.” This can be repeated until the thought is defused, using one of many different defusion techniques.

A report published earlier this year in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine describes the use of acceptance therapy in obese individuals. The treatment program improved the quality of life scores and body mass index (BMI) in obese people after a one-day mindfulness and acceptance-based workshop.

Acceptance-based approaches postulate that instead of opting for change alone, the most effective approach may be to accept and change. I this respect, they are quicker than the generally-applied cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

I’m no psychologist or psychiatrist, but I recognize the usefulness of such methods in helping to fight the problems of overweight and obesity. Other troubling conditions, like insomnia or smoking addiction, might benefit from earlier use of appropriate psychotherapy methods. Talk to you family doctor about a referral, if necessary.