When a patient and therapist work to resolve this apparent contradiction between self-acceptance and change, it will only bring about positive growth in the individual. It is actually an excellent place to be-simultaneously thankful for your current circumstances and still taking steps in the direction of personal progress. Embodying mindfulness allows the present moment to become more enjoyable.Īccepting where you are and when knowing that things could be better is a natural state of self-reflection. This sort of mindfulness that comes with the balance between acceptance and change can also decrease anxiety and depression symptoms. Developing radical acceptance of what is happening without trying to fight it allows us to refocus energy on only what we can control. At the core of DBT therapy lies the development of mindfulness skills that give the user the tools to see reality clearly.īeing able to step back from a Wise Mind perspective and recognize the need for both acceptance and change makes accepting the truth of what is happening more relevant.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy built in the space between these concepts that is an effective tool in addiction recovery. In substance abuse recovery settings, neither the practice of solely focusing on change-oriented or acceptance-oriented therapy efforts was successful-finding the balance between acceptance and change is essential. In recovery, there is room to be thankful for where you came from and currently are (acceptance), but also remain motivated to know where you’re going (change). These ideas do not have to be mutually exclusive. Cognitive dissonance and some heated internal arguments can occur where you feel torn between being content where you are and moving in the direction of change. When it comes to having acceptance for yourself while also desiring change, there can be some difficulty wrapping your mind around the concept.
How can we accept what needs to change? Conversely, how can we change what we accept? We may hear and accept these ideas superficially, although only upon deeper reflection do we realize that they are actually opposites. Two critical demands of the recovery process are the concepts of acceptance and change and the balancing act required to hold these two ideas in tandem.
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