Thanks, I downloaded it, I haven't yet found the part on getting out of the head but I'll look through it more later, but gotta work now.

Anyway I had a few minutes so I randomly opened it somewhere at the start and it says things like

"If you’ve been struggling for some time, you’ve probably plagued yourself with different forms of the “why?” question: “Why can’t I just get over it?” “Why can’t I feel better?” “Why is life so hard?” “Why hasn’t therapy worked?” “Why can’t I be a normal person?” “Why can’t I be happy?” You may feel victimized somehow by questions that seem not to have any ready answers."

So if ACT deals with the solution to this, then I'm already stuck and unable to apply it Because I don't have thoughts like that. It sounds incredibly negative to me and I run from such negativity. It feels tiring and draining to even read these questions listed out like that. So, I block out thoughts and feelings like this.

Ofcourse, then the block itself is what prevents me from getting out of my head.

Did this make sense?




EDIT: Oh another quote (from homework assigned in the book).

"We would like you to write down a list of all of the issues that are currently psychologically difficult for you. Use the left-hand side of the space provided below. Do not write about purely external or situational events, independent of your reactions to them. In this book we will focus on how you react. Some of your psychological issues will be clearly related to specific situations; others may not be. For example, “my boss” would not be a good example of a difficult issue you experience; but “getting frustrated with my boss” or “feeling put down by my boss” might be. The left-hand column can include any of your thoughts, feelings, memories, urges, bodily sensations, habits, or behavioral predispositions that may distress you, either alone or in combination with external events. Don’t overthink it. Just write down what plagues you and causes you pain. Be honest and thorough and create your “suffering inventory” in the space below."

Yeah, well. Stuck there too, of course, lol. Because what comes natural to me is writing about the external event/situation. This says the book is gonna focus on how I react. Well I react with that block. Not feelings....but just that block. Behavioural dispositions, well the block having me not being able to come out of my head, or if I do manage to come out of it, then I do feel the pain strongly lol and then it's hard to do anything while it's that strong. But that is still easier to deal with than the block itself... As soon as I'm past the block I'm good, I can manage emotion sooner or later, I'm not actually worried about that part.

My theory on all that is that the block is there when my brain cannot contain the emotion (bc it's too strong) so it has to shut it all down. So I do define that as having negative emotions, I just don't feel them because they are behind that block.



All in all, my issue is not about having painful or negative emotions, my issue is if/when they get in the way of me doing things, in the way of concentration, in the way of my goals. That is the issue I have. That's the only thing that bothers me. The examples in the quote... feeling frustration or whatever other feeling, those are not issues for me, I don't view having emotions an issue because I'm all about controlling them (when I do actively feel the emotions). The block and the inability to do anything when that's in the way is my issue. And then the resulting mess in my life, when I have to catch up with the deadlines, not being able to train (I love training and I again couldn't do it for so long now!!) etc. So those are the issues. Yeah, external situations, I know, it doesn't do the homework in the book.