There is a new ACT workbook available that may be of help to people with PTSD. People with PTSD often have strong and uncomfortable emotions. As a result, they may avoid their emotions. While this avoidance may be initially effective, it rarely is effective in the long-term and can increase suffering and interfere with one's life.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a behavioral treatment designed to help people overcome this avoidance. Specifically, its overarching goal is to help people be open and willing to have their internal experiences while focusing attention on not trying to escape or avoid emotional pain.
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life (New Harbinger Publications) is an excellent new workbook by Steven C. Hayes, PhD, (with Spencer Smith) that is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It describes how you can use mindfulness and acceptance to begin living the life that you want to live by getting in touch with your present moment experience.
Dr. Hayes explains complex ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand language. It also uses a number of metaphors to help explain problems that many of us respond to in our internal experiences, such as thoughts and emotions. These metaphors are also used to convey how people can view their internal experience in other ways so as to limit the extent to which they interfere with living a meaningful life.
This workbook is not designed for any particular disorder or person. Instead, it is a wonderful resource for anyone seeking to gain a new perspective on their thoughts and emotions, as well as move forward in living a fuller and more meaningful life. Read this book if you need help putting yourself in the driver's seat and taking control of your life from your thoughts and emotions.
