Lecture 6 - Mindfulness (contemplative therapy)

Question 1

Dropping an achor is a technique for ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), what is the main point of it?

Answer 1

To be present, connect and gain control over behaviour

Question 2

What is a misconception of mindfulness (meditation)?

Answer 2

That is serves to get rid of all of your thoughts

Question 3

Yoga, in mainstream, is mainly seen as the poses (which are called asanas) and how these improve your body (and mind). Why can this be considered a misconception?

Answer 3

Because yoga is more than the asanas (poses), it is a larger discipline that focuses on reduction of attachment to the self (-image)

Question 4

What is mindfulness actually for?

Answer 4

To non-judgementally observe the thoughts/etc.

Question 5

What are comtemplative traditions?

Answer 5

• Contemplation (lol): thoughtful observation, deep consideration and reflection
• The nature of the mind (how does it operate, what is it, etc.)

Question 6

How do Vedantic/Hindu traditions define the nature of the mind?

Answer 6

• You are not your thought, but aware of them
• I.e., you are awareness (unbounded consciousness)

Question 7

How does Buddhism define the nature of the mind?

Answer 7

There are basic motivations:
- Cravings and aversions

Question 8

What would Buddhism call the three poisons (or in therapy practice, the causes of psychopathology)

Answer 8

• Delusion (i.e., thinking you are your thoughts/not aware, etc.)
• Cravings
• Aversions

Question 9

When your mind strays to certain thoughts/focuses on them during mindfulness practices, what is a question that would then be asked in therapy?

Answer 9

What does this mean for your life?

like how does this thought tie in with your life

Question 10

What is the main goal/focus of acceptance based therapies (3rd wave)?

Answer 10

To see how a person relates to the process of internal experiences (so not their content)

Question 11

For what does mindfulness based cognitive therapy have strong support in treating?

Answer 11

MDD

Question 12

For what is dialect based therapy mostly used to treat (and has strong support for)?

Answer 12

Borderline personality disorder

Question 13

For which three mental disorders (and 1 non-mental) is the strongest evidence for the effectiveness of ACT?

Answer 13

MDD, anxiety, substance use and chronic pain

Question 14

What is meant with acceptance?

Answer 14

• Acceptance of internal experiences in this moment > and then moving on
• Willingness to allow feelings/thoughts

this is a practice, not an end goal

Question 15

How does CBT differ from ACT?

Answer 15

• CBT focuses on symptoms as a problem, you need to get rid of it and change your thoughts, etc.
• With ACT pain and suffering are part of normal life and **controlling thoughts and feelings increases suffering **

Question 16

What are differences between second and third wave BT?

so 3rd includes acceptance based

Answer 16

• 2nd wave = changing negative shit, focus on content of thoughts and the goal is symptom reduction
• 3rd wave = acceptance and midfulness of shit, process of thinking/meta-cognitive and the goal is to work towards life goals

mostly serves as a summary

Question 17

What is the main goal of ACT?

Answer 17

Increasing psych flexibility

Question 18

What is meant by psych flexibility in the context of ACT? (2)

Answer 18

• How suffering is dealth with (e.g., avoidance of suffering would be inflexible)
• Staying connected to what matters to you (leading a meaningful life)

Question 19

What is the main model of ACT?

Answer 19

Hexagon (more like a star really) with psych flexibility in the middle, connects to six skills:
- Acceptance
- Present moment awareness
- Defusion
- Self as context
- Committed action
- Values

Question 20

Which four ACT skills fall under mindfulness?

Answer 20

• Present moment awareness
• Acceptance
• Defusion
• Self as context

Question 21

Which two ACT skills fall under commitment?

Answer 21

• Values
• Committed action

Question 22

What’s the inflexible opposite of acceptance in ACT?

Answer 22

Experiential avoidance

Question 23

What is defusion in ACT?

Answer 23

Unhooking from unhelpful thoughts and seeing them/relating to them as just thoughts

called disidentification in book

Question 24

What is the opposite of defusion in ACT and what does it mean?

Answer 24

Fusion; behaviour and attention are dominated by your thoughts (basically they control you and you personalize them)

Question 25

To what does the present moment awareness constitute? | basically what does it focus on

Answer 25

Both the inner and outer world- as long as it is the present

Question 26

What is meant by the self as context in ACT?

Answer 26

Acting as an observer to your thoughts, feels and sensations (objective distance)

Question 27

What is the opposite of self as context and what does it mean?

Answer 27

Self as content; being attached to the story of yourself- i.e., not being that objective observer

Question 28

What is commited action in the context of ACT? What is the opposite?

Answer 28

Action guided by values, despite difficult feelings/thoughts (opposed to inaction, impulsivity or avoidance)?

Question 29

What is the metaphor exercise "tug of war with a monster" and what is the point?

Answer 29

Literal (or metaphorical) exercise where you "play" tug-of-war and the therapist represents the monster. - **the point = the harder you pull, the harder the monster pulls and this takes a lot of energy > taking away resources from the things you care about** - Thus, let go