Self-Management and Seeking Professional Help

Self-Management and Seeking Professional Help

Self-Management and Seeking Professional Help

Psychology in Action

Gateway Question 15.11: How are behavioral principles applied to everyday problems and how could a person find professional help? As mentioned elsewhere in this book, you should seek professional help when a significant problem exists. For lesser difficulties you may want to try applying behavioral principles yourself (Martin & Pear, 2011; Watson & Tharp, 2007). (See also Chapter 6.)

Covert Reward and Punishment—Boosting Your “Willpower” Behavior therapy is not a cure-all. Its use is often quite complicated and requires a great deal of expertise. Still, behavior therapy offers a straightforward solution to many problems.

Let’s see how this might be done:

Therapist: “Have you ever decided to quit smoking cigarettes, watching television too much, eating too much, drinking too much, or driving too fast?”

Client: “Well, one of those applies. I have decided several times to quit smoking.”

Therapist: “When have you decided?”

Client: “Usually after I am reminded of how dangerous smoking is—like when I heard that ©

 

9781285519517, Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior with Concept Maps and Reviews, Thirteenth Edition, Coon/Mitterer – © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. No distribution allowed without express authorization.

 

Covert sensitization

Use of aversive imagery to reduce the occurrence of an undesired response.

Thought stopping

Use of aversive stimuli to interrupt or prevent upsetting thoughts.

Covert reinforcement

Using positive imagery to reinforce to reinforce desired behavior. For example, suppose your target behavior is, once again, not eating dessert. If this were the case, you could do the following (Kearney, 2006; Watson & Tharp, 2007):

Imagine that you are standing at the dessert table with your friends. As dessert is passed, you politely refuse and feel good about staying on your diet.

These images would then be followed by imagining a pleasant, reinforcing scene:

Imagine that you are your ideal weight. You look really slim in your favorite color and style. Some- one you really like says to you, “Gee, you’ve lost weight. I’ve never seen you look so good.”

For many people, of course, actual direct reinforcement is the best way to alter behavior. Nevertheless, covert or “visualized” reinforcement can have similar effects. To make use of covert reinforcement, choose one or more target behaviors and rehearse them men- tally. Then follow each rehearsal with a vivid, rewarding image.

Direct reinforcement is described in the Psychology in Action section of Chapter 6, pages 234–236.

Self-Management and Seeking Professional Help

Self-Directed Desensitization— Overcoming Common Fears

You have prepared for 2 weeks to give a speech in a large class. As your turn approaches, your hands begin to tremble. Your heart pounds and you find it difficult to breathe. You say to your body, “Relax!” What happens? Nothing! That’s why the first step in desensitization is learning to relax voluntarily by using the tension-release method described earlier in this chapter. As an alternative, you might want to try imagining a very safe, pleasant, and relaxing scene. Some people find such images as relaxing as the tension-release method (Rosenthal, 1993).

Thought Stopping

As discussed earlier, behavior therapists accept that thoughts, like visible responses, can also cause trouble. Think of times when you have repeatedly “put yourself down” mentally or when you have been preoccupied by needless worries, fears, or other negative and upsetting thoughts. If you would like to gain control over such thoughts, thought stopping may help you do it.

In thought stopping, aversive stimuli are used to interrupt or prevent upsetting thoughts (Bakker, 2009). The simplest thought-stopping technique makes use of mild punishment to suppress upsetting mental images and internal “talk.” Simply place a large, flat rubber band around your wrist. As you go through the day apply this rule: Each time you catch yourself thinking the upsetting image or thought, pull the rubber band away from your wrist and snap it. You need not make this terribly painful. Its value lies in drawing your attention to how often you form negative thoughts and in interrupting the flow of thoughts.

A second thought-stopping procedure requires only that you interrupt upsetting thoughts each time they occur. Begin by set- ting aside time each day during which you will deliberately think the unwanted thought. As you begin to form the thought, shout “Stop!” aloud, with conviction. (Obviously, you should choose a private spot for this part of the procedure!)

Repeat the thought-stopping procedure 10 to 20 times for the first 2 or 3 days. Then switch to shouting “Stop!” covertly (to yourself ) rather than aloud. Thereafter, thought stopping can be carried out throughout the day, whenever upsetting thoughts occur. After several days of practice, you should be able to stop unwanted thoughts whenever they occur.

Covert Reinforcement Earlier we discussed how punishing images can be used to decrease undesirable responses, such as smoking or overeating. Many people also find it helpful to covertly reinforce desired actions. Covert reinforcement is the use of positive imagery thinking about it would temporarily make you very uncomfortable about indulging in the habit. For smoking, the cards might read:

• “I am in a doctor’s office. The doctor looks at some reports and tells me I have lung cancer. She says a lung will have to be removed and sets a date for the operation.”

• “I am in bed under an oxygen tent. My chest feels caved in. There is a tube in my throat. I can barely breathe.”

• “I wake up in the morning and smoke a cigarette. I begin coughing up blood.”

• “My lover won’t even kiss me because my breath smells bad.”

Other cards would continue along the same line.

For overeating the cards might read like this:

• “I am at the beach. I get up to go for a swim and I overhear people whispering to each other, ‘Isn’t that fat disgusting?’”

• “I am at a store buying clothes. I try on several things that are too small. The only things that fit look like rumpled sacks. Salespeople are staring at me.”

• “I can’t fit into my seat at the movies.”

The trick is to get yourself to imagine or picture vividly each of these disturbing scenes several times a day. Imagining the scenes can be accomplished by placing them under stimulus control. Simply choose something you do frequently each day (such as getting a cup of coffee or getting up from your chair). Next make a rule: Before you can get a cup of coffee or get up from your chair, or whatever you have selected as a cue, you must take out your cards and vividly picture yourself engaging in the action you wish to curb (eating or smoking, for example). Then vividly picture the scene described on the top card. Imagine the scene for 30 seconds. Self-Management and Seeking Professional Help.

After visualizing the top card, move it to the bottom so the cards are rotated. Make up new cards each week. The scenes can be made much more upsetting than the samples given here, which are toned down to keep you from being “grossed out.”

Covert sensitization can also be used directly in situations that test your self-control. If you are trying to lose weight, for instance, you might be able to turn down a tempting dessert in this way: As you look at the dessert, visualize maggots crawling all over it. If you make this image as vivid and nauseat-

9781285519517, Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior with Concept Maps and Reviews, Thirteenth Edition, Coon/Mitterer – © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. No distribution allowed without express authorization.

 

Locating a Therapist

If I wanted to talk to a therapist, how would I find one? Here are some suggestions that could help you get started:

1. Colleges and universities. If you are a student, don’t overlook counseling ser- vices offered by a student health center or special student counseling facilities.

2. Workplaces. If you have a job, check with your employer. Some employers have employee assistance programs that offer confidential free or low-cost therapy for employees.

3. Community or county mental health centers. Most counties and many cities offer public mental health services. (These are listed in the phone book.) Public mental health centers usually provide counseling and therapy services directly, and they can refer you to private therapists.

4. Mental health associations. Many cities have mental health associations orga- nized by concerned citizens. Groups such as these usually keep listings of qualified therapists and other services and programs in the community.

5. The Yellow Pages. Psychologists are listed in the telephone book or on the Internet under “Psychologists,” or in some cases under “Counseling Services.” Psychiatrists are generally listed as a sub- heading under “Physicians.” Counselors are usually found under the heading “Marriage and Family Counselors.” These listings will usually put you in touch with individuals in private practice.

6. Crisis hotlines. The typical crisis hotline is a telephone service staffed by community volunteers. These people are trained to provide information concerning a wide range of mental health problems. They also have lists of organizations, services, and other resources in the community where you can go for help.

? Table 15.5 summarizes all the sources for psychotherapy, counseling, and referrals we have discussed, as well as some additional possibilities.

By using this approach you should be able to reduce the fear or anxiety associated with things such as public speaking, entering darkened rooms, asking questions in large classes, heights, talking to members of the opposite sex, and taking tests (Watson & Tharp, 2007). Even if you are not always able to reduce a fear, you will have learned to place relaxation under voluntary control. This alone is valuable because controlling unnecessary tension can increase energy and efficiency. Self-Management and Seeking Professional Help.