Cognitive defusion

Fused2

A thought like "I'm a loser" feels like a fact, an order or a threat, and steers what you do.

Defused2

The same thought is noticed as a string of words. It can stay, but it has much less pull.

Not getting rid of thoughts1

The aim is to alter what thoughts do, not their form or how often they come.

"I'm having the thought that…"2

Hold the thought "I am X", then repeat it with this phrase in front. Most people feel a distance open up.

Repeat it aloud1

Say the thought over and over until only its sound remains.

Give it a form1

Treat the thought as an object with a shape, size, colour or speed; or see it on a karaoke screen.

Silly voices and songs2

Hear it in a cartoon voice or sing it to "Happy Birthday".

Thank your mind1

Say "Thanks, mind" for such an interesting thought, and label thinking as thinking.

Fused vs defused wording1

Fused: "I am no good." Defused: "I am having the thought that I am no good." The second treats it as a thought, not as what it refers to.

What fusion looks like5

A depressed client fused with "I'm unlovable" and "there's no point trying" avoids the people he cares about and stops working towards his goals.

Locating the thought2

Asked where the thought "I'm a loser" seemed to be, a client sensed it in front of him, like words he could see. As he "looked" at it with curiosity it became less distressing.

Karaoke screen2

He then saw the same words on a karaoke screen, changed the font and colour, and added a bouncing ball. He ended up chuckling at a thought that had brought him to tears minutes before.

Naming the story5

Harris's ACT Companion app has you list your mind's most common "not good enough" criticisms and pick the one that pushes you around most, so you can recognise that "not good enough" story when it shows up.

Thoughts on buses5

A guided exercise has you "place" each thought on the side of a bus as it pulls in and out of a bus stop, letting it come and go without engaging with what it says.

Singing it2

Illustration: someone whose mind keeps saying "I'm a failure" sings those words to the tune of "Happy Birthday". The words are the same; their grip is weaker.

"Thanks, mind"2

Illustration: before a presentation the mind says "You'll mess this up"; the person silently answers "Thanks, mind" and carries on, without arguing with the thought.

Inside ACT's evidence4

ACT, which includes defusion, has over 1,000 randomized trials.

Active ingredient not proven4

Critics say ACT cannot yet make strong claims that its unique components, such as defusion, are what make it work.