How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Can Help with Anxiety: Insights from a Registered Psychologist in Calgary

Have you ever thought to yourself, how does ACT help with anxiety? Well, this blog post from a yyc counselling practice has you covered. Read on to learn about what anxiety is and the impact it can have on your emotional and physical well-being and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you find relief.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a complex and multifaceted mental health condition characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities. Symptoms of anxiety can vary widely but often include restlessness, rapid heartbeat, and racing thoughts.. The root causes of anxiety can be diverse, involving a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors. Key influencers include traumatic experiences, chronic stress, and certain predisposing biological factors.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own set of characteristics. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is marked by persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life, such as health, work, and social interactions. Panic Disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks featuring intense physical sensations like chest pain, dizziness, and breathlessness. Social Anxiety Disorder revolves around a pervasive fear of social situations and being judged by others. Specific phobias are characterized by an intense, irrational fear of particular objects or situations, such as heights, spiders, or flying.

Exploring Anxiety's Impact

The impact of anxiety on daily life can be profound. Physically, anxiety can manifest through symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues. It can lead to memory issues, difficulty problem-solving, and concerns surrounding decision-making. Emotionally, individuals with anxiety often experience a heightened state of distress, leading to potential mood disorders such as depression. In a nutshell, anxiety can take you away from living the life that you want to live.

The prevalence of anxiety disorders is significant and growing. In Calgary, as in many urban settings, the rates of diagnosed anxiety conditions have seen a concerning rise. According to recent statistics, approximately one in every four individuals will experience an anxiety disorder at some stage in their life. This mirrors broader Canadian trends, underscoring the critical need for effective mental health interventions. Addressing anxiety through spreading awareness, therapeutic interventions like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and community support can help reduce its effects.

Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is part of the new wave of cognitive-behavioural therapy that focuses on helping individuals accept their thoughts and feelings rather than battling them and commit to a life that aligns with your values. With numerous research studies backing its effectiveness, ACT aims to foster psychological flexibility and align actions with personal values to create a meaningful life.

Central to ACT are six core principles that serve as guiding pillars:

Cognitive Defusion: This principle emphasizes creating a separation between oneself and one's thoughts. It involves techniques that help individuals see thoughts as mere words or images, not as truths that dictate their actions. This process reduces the attachment to unhelpful thinking patterns and can get you out of a thought spiral.

Acceptance: Rather than avoiding or suppressing unwanted emotions, acceptance in ACT encourages individuals to welcome their feelings without resistance in a way that feels manageable.This practice reduces the struggle and diminishes the impact of distressing emotions over time. Cognitive Defusion and Acceptance are incredibly useful and important steps in ACT as we know, what we resist, persists.

Contact with the Present Moment: ACT emphasizes mindfulness and staying in the here-and-now. By maintaining awareness of the present moment, individuals can avoid getting caught up in past regrets or future anxieties, leading to a more grounded and balanced approach to life. Over time, practicing mindfulness can help with emotion regulation; reduce stress levels; improve sleep; and strengthen memory and focus.

Observing the Self: This principle involves developing a perspective of the self that is consistent and non-judgmental, often referred to as the "observing self." It allows individuals to recognize their thoughts and emotions as ever-evolving experiences rather than defining elements of their identity.

Values Clarification: In ACT, clarifying personal values helps individuals determine what is truly important to them. By identifying and prioritizing these values, they can direct their efforts toward actions that align with what they care about most in life. Research has shown that when we live a life misaligned with our values, we experience more distress, which makes this stage of ACT essential to living a fulfilling life.

Committed Action: We all want to see things change outside of session too right? This principle is about taking concrete steps aligned with one's values, despite any emotional or psychological barriers that may be preventing you from doing so. By committing to value-driven actions, individuals can create positive life changes and achieve a sense of purpose.

Through the integration of these principles, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy enables individuals to detach from unhelpful thought patterns, fostering a more adaptive and flexible mindset, and accept emotions rather than resist them. This psychological flexibility is crucial for navigating life's challenges and building a fulfilling existence.

How ACT Can Be Effective for Managing Anxiety

Through Acceptance:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has proven to be an effective approach for individuals grappling with anxiety. Unlike traditional therapies that often focus on reducing or eliminating symptoms, ACT encourages clients to accept their anxiety as a normal part of life. This paradigm shift can significantly diminish both immediate stress and the long-term impact of anxiety symptoms. By learning to accept their emotional and psychological experience, individuals can prevent anxiety from dictating their actions and decisions, thereby reducing its overall grip on their lives.

Clients who have engaged with ACT in a therapy setting and outside of the room, have confirmed that when we try to resist our emotions, they typically come back stronger. When we learn to accept our anxiety, and "ride the wave" of it, we reduce the amount of time and the intensity that we feel it.

Through Mindfulness:

One of the core techniques in ACT is mindfulness, which involves maintaining a present-moment awareness without judgment. This practice enables clients to observe their anxious thoughts and feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them. For instance, a Registered Psychologist in Calgary recounts the case of "Sarah," a pseudonym for a client who experienced debilitating panic attacks. Through mindfulness exercises, Sarah learned to identify triggering thoughts and feelings and observe them without resistance. Over time, this skill diminished the power that these thoughts had over her, reducing the frequency and intensity of her panic attacks.

Additionally, anxiety lives in the present. It is the fear of what could happen/worst case scenarios/what ifs. When we are practicing mindfulness, we are redirecting our attention to our present moment experience. When we are in the present moment, anxiety cannot exist.

Through Identifying Values and Engaging in Committed Action:

Another significant element of ACT is values-based action. This involves guiding clients to identify their core values and commit to actions that align with those values, even in the presence of anxiety. For example, "John," another client who suffered from social anxiety, was encouraged to engage in social activities he valued, such as participating in community events, despite his fears. By focusing on what truly mattered to him, John found that his anxiety gradually became more manageable.

When we feel anxious, our natural tendency is to want to avoid. However, avoidance always results in increased anxiety over time. When we engage in activities that align with our values, despite the anxious feeling that arise, we are actively combating avoidance. For more information on avoidance, check out my instagram post "Let's Talk Avoidance" at @trilotuspsych.

Conclusion

Through mindfulness and values-based actions, ACT equips individuals with the tools needed to lead fulfilling lives despite their anxiety, marking an essential shift from avoidance to acceptance and commitment.

If you're interested in learning more about how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you cope with your anxiety and lead the life that you want, don't hesitate to book a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation below with our Calgary Therapists (or a first appointment).