Disrupting Language in ACT: Defusion and Mindfulness Tools
Booz Allen
Department of Veterans Affairs
Yale University
University of Nevada, Reno
Key Points
- A word can bring to mind stimulus characteristics, as if the thing named is present.
- One exercise to disrupt language is to repeat the word out loud, over and over, until it loses meaning.
- Metaphors help clients recognize the ongoing chatter of the mind.
- The client has a choice whether or not to listen to the chatter.
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Transcript
So, I want to give you one of our classic examples in ACT of how to, at least temporarily, disrupt language. And it’s called the milk, milk, milk exercise and it’s based on an exercise by Titchener long ago. And so first, I’m going to ask you to imagine a glass of milk. So imagine you’ve got an ice-cold glass of milk in front of you. And what does that look like? What can you see? What color white is the milk? Can you see any cold bubbles or frothing at the top? Imagine that you bring that glass of milk toward your nose. Can you smell it?
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.,Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. Guilford Press.
Again, just by me saying this word, milk, it can bring all of those properties to mind. Imagine if you had had a cookie beforehand and now you took a sip of that milk. What would it taste like? Or even if you don’t like milk, it works just as well. So imagine I’m saying you should take a sip of that milk and notice what feelings of disgust or maybe discomfort in your stomach that brings up.
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.,Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. Guilford Press.