Tasty Ice Cream and Experiential Avoidance
I enjoy Dippin' Dots ice cream! It's incredibly cold, and I love the texture as it begins to melt—delicious! There's a Dippin' Dots store in Monterey, CA, that radiates charming 1960s vibes. However, this discussion is about an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) concept. The acronym D.O.T.S. is an easy way to remember details about Experiential Avoidance.
In ACT, Experiential Avoidance is defined as “the ongoing struggle to avoid or get rid of unwanted thoughts and feelings” (Harris, 2017 p.17).
As Freud noted, we all seek pleasure and try to avoid pain. It only becomes problematic when we engage in too much avoidance. Research has shown that persistent efforts to avoid painful internal experiences lead to increased suffering in the moderate to long term and can contribute to various mental health disorders (Chawla & Ostafin, 2007; Hayes et al., 1996).
Here is an easy way to begin recognizing common avoidance strategies:
D. Distraction (e.g., television, mindless phone scrolling, social media—the possibilities are endless)
O. Opting Out (e.g., people with social anxiety might avoid social gatherings, or one might avoid a challenging conversation with a coworker, friend, or partner)
T. Thinking Strategies (e.g., repetitively repeating positive affirmations, reassuring oneself that things will be okay, adopting a positive outlook, seeking an escape)
S. Substance and other strategies (anything we consume to alter how we feel)
Our culture, which I like to refer to as 'Mother Culture', often encourages us to engage in activities that distract us from facing uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, this approach does not work well in the long term. Most of us rely too heavily on avoidance strategies. In a future post, we will explore how to "lean into" uncomfortable thoughts and feelings as a means to reduce suffering. As the saying goes, "the only way out is through!"
Adapted from the ACT made Simple (Harris, 2017).
Chawla, N. and Ostafin, B. (2007), Experiential avoidance as a functional dimensional approach to psychopathology: An empirical review. J. Clin. Psychol., 63: 871-890. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20400
Harris, R. (2019). ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (2nd ed.). New Harbinger Publications.
