Chapter 1: Choice Point Flashcards
Components of the choice point diagram
Base: situations, thoughts, and feelings (choice point)
Left: Away (hooked)
Right: Toward (unhooked)
What inner experiences does the phrase “thoughts and feelings” refer to?
thoughts, emotions, images, memories, urges and impulses
What are Towards Moves?
- committed physical and psychological actions guided by our values
- actions that are useful/effective and help move you toward a more meaningful and fulfilling life
- the things you want to start or do more of if work is successful
What are Away Moves?
- behaving unlike the person you want to be
- doing ineffective things that tend to make life worse in the long term
- the things you’ll stop doing or do less of if work is successful
When are away moves easier?
When are towards moves easier?
- Away moves are easier when we’re hooked in our thoughts and feelings
- Towards moves are easier when we’re not hooked but rather able to think flexibly
What does it mean to get hooked?
- getting lost in our inner world instead of focusing on our words and actions
- trying to avoid or get rid of unwanted thoughts and feelings
What is the relationship between getting hooked and psychological problems?
- When we get hooked by difficult thoughts and feelings, we start doing more away moves
- If this happens a lot, it can create or exacerbate depression, anxiety, substance use, etc
What is the consequence of doing away moves vs doing towards moves?
- Doing away moves a lot results in psychological problems and can contribute to depression, anxiety, substance use, etc
- Doing towards moves a lot results in improving mental health and ability to navigate life
What’s the overall strategy for how to cultivate towards moves to improve how you respond to the difficult stuff in life?
- learn skills for unhooking
- be clear about what towards moves you want to make
What is Overt Behavior?
Physical behavior: actions, facial expressions, speech, movement and breathing, body posture, etc
What is Covert Behavior?
Psychological behavior: thinking, focusing, visualizing, mindfulness, imagining, remembering, etc
How to explain the difference between overt and covert behaviors?
If a video camera appeared out of thin air while the behavior is happening, could the behavior be caught on video? If yes, overt. If no, covert.
Examples of covert away moves
rumination, worrying, disengaging, losing focus, and obsessing
Examples of covert toward moves
defusing, accepting, refocusing attention, engaging, strategizing, and planning
Who defines what an away move is?
The client
How to proceed when a client labels a negative/unhelpful behavior as a towards move? (e.g. drinking)
- Don’t create a debate about it, just larify that the client understands the prompt
- Write it on the towards arrow on the choice point diagram because that’s how the client sees it
- Check back in about it in later sessions when the client’s psychological flexibility has increased, ask whether they still see it as a towards move
How can any behavior be either an away move or a towards move? (e.g. eating chocolate, watching shows)
It depends on context.
* Away moves: eating chocolate mindlessly to escape boredom or anxiety; watching shows for escapism or procrastination
* Towards moves: eating chocolate mindfully or as part of a celebration; watching shows for enrichment or education
How to diagram a behavior or action that’s both an away move and a towards move?
Write it down on each side, with a specifier (eat chocolate as escapism, eat chocolate mindfully)
What does Unhooking Skills refer to?
Mindfulness! The four mindfulness core processes: defusion, acceptance, self-as-context, and contacting the present moment
