Excerpts from "The Happiness Trap" & "ACT with Love"

[Daniel E.]

Excerpts from The Happiness Trap, which is a book by Russ Harris on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy:

Introduction

Excerpt from Chapter 1

Google Books Preview

The excerpt of Chapter 1 discusses the following four myths:

Myth 1: Happiness Is the Natural State for All Human Beings
Myth 2: If You’re Not Happy, You’re Defective
Myth 3: To Create a Better Life, We Must Get Rid of Negative Feelings
Myth 4: You Should Be Able to Control What You Think and Feel

more info about the book:
TheHappinessTrap.com
Amazon.com: The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living

more info about ACT:
http://forum.psychlinks.ca/anger-management/14686-acceptance-and-committment-therapy.html
http://forum.psychlinks.ca/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/14997-getting-your-act-together.html

(Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is similar to DBT.)

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: Excerpts from "The Happiness Trap"

A quote from another book by the same author:

Naturally this is easier said than done. There will always be plenty of barriers in your way. To quote Father Alfred D'Souza: "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

Act With Love: Stop Struggling ... - Google Books

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: Excerpts from "The Happiness Trap"

The introduction and first chapter of Harris' book on applying ACT to romantic relationships:

ACT_with_Love_-_Introduction_&_Chapter_1.pdf

Another excerpt from ACT with Love:

LOVE:

L ? Letting go
O ? Opening up
V ? Valuing
E ? Engaging

LOVE is not just an acronym: it is a useful way of thinking about ?love? itself. If you think of love as an ongoing process of letting go, opening up, valuing, and engaging, then it is always available to you?even when the feelings of love are absent. So in this sense of the word, you really can have everlasting love. But if you think of love merely as an emotion or feeling, then it can never last for long because all feelings and emotions continually change.

Practicing LOVE?letting go, opening up, valuing, engaging?will help you to drop the struggle with your partner, resolve your conflicts, settle your differences, and deepen your ability to care, connect, and bond. However, it?s important to be realistic. This is not some magic wand that will miraculously fix all your issues. All couples will experience conflict and tension; that?s just human nature. And when this happens, it?s helpful to remember ? you?re both hurting.

Act With Love - Google Books

 

[Meg]

I'm reading 'the happiness trap' at the moment after about 10 separate people said they'd loved it. It's very readable and informative

 

[Daniel E.]

The first two chapters of ACT Made Simple, which is another book by Harris and is intended as a primer for therapists:

ACT_Made_Simple_Introduction_and_first_two_chapters.pdf

 

[Daniel E.]

Third chapter of ACT Made Simple:
The House of ACT: A Complete Version of Chapter 3 in ACT Made Simple

Worksheets:
The Complete Worksheets for The Happiness Trap
The Complete Set of Client Handouts and Worksheets from ACT Made Simple
The Complete Worksheets for ACT With Love

more stuff:
Free Resources | ACT Made Simple

 

[Shanny]

Re: Excerpts from "The Happiness Trap"

I want to read this book.

 

[Yuray]

Dr. Harris is making some very broad stokes on a very large canvass with a very big brush. He suggests society and cultures as being largely unanimous in their beliefs of happiness and unhappiness, what mental illness is, and how it is percieved (among many other things).


Dr. Harris says on the topic of some strategies on overcoming unhappiness:

On the surface, these beliefs seem to make good sense — that’s why you encounter them again and again in nearly every self-help book you ever read.

He is alluding that his book and methods will have the more positive correct beliefs. Another hat thrown into the arena of self help.

There appears to be nothing exceptionally new about ACT compared to some other therapies except in the presentation, and hints of spritiual ideals. Certainly nothing so new that other academics will say " Hey, how'd we miss that?". Identifying with consumers is what sells books, not always the validity of the content. When the author speaks in a soft voice, identifies or invents problems, and offers solutions in a caring parental way to those who are troubled, he can be very convincing. Nothing wrong with that if it helps. For first time self help book buyers, ACT books are a good start. For those with a self help library, it's an unrequired addition.

 

[Daniel E.]

There appears to be nothing exceptionally new about ACT compared to some other therapies except in the presentation, and hints of spritiual ideals.

Yes, ACT (by Russ Harris et al) is in some ways just a repackaging of DBT (Marsha Linehan). And DBT borrows from zen and CBT. And CBT has ideas from Stoic philosophy, etc. (Albert Ellis was a fan of Epictetus.)

So, yes, there is nothing new under the sun.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Yes, ACT (by Russ Harris et al) is in some ways just a repackaging of DBT (Marsha Linehan). And DBT borrows from zen and CBT. And CBT has ideas from Stoic philosophy, etc. (Albert Ellis was a fan of Epictetus.)

So, yes, there is nothing new under the sun.

"Why a fax machine is nothing but a waffle maker with a phone attached!" ~ Grampa Simpson

 

[Daniel E.]

"Why a fax machine is nothing but a waffle maker with a phone attached!" ~ Grampa Simpson

Mmmmmmm.....waffles served fresh by fax :homer:

 

[Daniel E.]

Worksheets to Use with the Happiness Trap

 

[Daniel E.]

First two chapters of a new book, The Reality Slap, by the same author, Russ Harris:

http://www.actmindfully.com.au/upimages/The_Reality_Slap_-_Introduction_&_Chapters_1_and_2.pdf

More excerpts at Google Books.