Name: A Liberated Mind
ISBN: 9780735214019

What Hacker News says

thunkleMay 2023

Learn about the concept of diffusion as explained in ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) best taught by the book: A Liberated Mind by Steven C Hayes. Basically following a set of practices to distance your thoughts from yourself so you can not buy into them.

One of the practices I've felt most helpful is to name the entity that is arguing in your mind and is telling you to take it personally. I named my voice Herman. I often tell him to shut up. It's a great way to distance yourself, albeit, it does sound a little mad.

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karlsMay 2022

I just want to add to the parent comment which I 100% agree with.

I have struggled with anxiety and fear-avoidance for a long time. Probably most of my adult life. It got to the point where I had to find external help in the form of a therapist. She specialises in cognitive behavioural therapy, which helped me take those first couple of steps. I got better after about 12 months of therapy, but felt like there was something missing in the CBT solution to the anxiety problem.

What really put things in a totally different gear was realising that the voice telling you to avoid, to put off, to cower and run from things, is just a voice. That voice feels like _you_, but it's not you. The voice is sometimes correct. Sometimes it's not. A part of CBT is questioning the unproductive thoughts and feelings, which helps, but it doesn't take this idea of "the voice being just a voice" to its conclusion. Just because you have a thought or a feeling does not mean you should take it literally, as the truth.

ACT, which I discovered by accident shortly after my epiphany, gets to the heart of it with defusion (de-fusing the internal chatter from your rational self) and five other core ideas. For me personally, the idea and practise of defusion was a core component in helping me deal with crippling anxiety. It requires work, but it's possible to feel great in the presence of _some_ anxiety and fear. It's possible to look forward to things which would normally make you anxious and avoidant.

Another book recommendation "A Liberated Mind" by Steven Hayes. I suggest reading a book or two and try to internalise these ideas through practise. No HN comment can provide the nuance and context you'll find in a book and through practise.

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rthomas6Nov 2021

If you're looking for an alternative, check out ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Many studies have found it to be as or more effective than CBT for a broad range of issues ranging from depression to Schizophrenia.

While CBT tries to substitute dysfunctional thinking with a different narrative, ACT is about realizing that any narrative you're telling yourself is just a narrative, and any feelings are just feelings. As such they are not all that serious or meaningful. We don't need to try to push away, ignore, or try to change the thoughts and feelings. People weren't meant to feel happy all the time and we shouldn't try to. Instead we should find out what truly matters to us and focus on that. I'm probably not doing it justice but that's the gist of it.

A good book on it is A Liberated Mind by Steven Hayes.

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apis_nearcticaJun 2021

Thanks for the suggestions, I think I will get some very good use out of these. For real reduction of anxiety you might be interested in reading about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which I think would fit well with the resources you mentioned. It’s an evidence-based therapy with a focus on mindfulness and meditation. A big part of what it taught me is how to unconditionally accept my unpleasant emotions which paradoxically leads to experiencing less of them. That’s easier said than done of course but ACT gives exercises and concrete advice for how to get there. The book I liked is called A Liberated Mind, a self-help book by the creator of ACT, Steven Hayes.

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gcheongDec 2019

A Liberated Mind - Steven Hayes https://stevenchayes.com/a-liberated-mind/

Stopping the Noise in Your Head - Reid Wilson

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