Cognitive Strategies for Suicide Prevention, Addiction And Anxiety

William Pryatel

• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781644246375
• eBook ISBN:
  9781644246382
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

The author has been a psychiatrist for thirty-nine years and has worked with thousands of patients. His impression is that many of their problems have to do with the way they process or deal with information. Often, maladaptive pathways of thinking are employed to the person's detriment. When this occurs, it tends to be repeated again and again and becomes habitual. Eventually, symptoms such as anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings and addiction are generated and become more and more problematic. In the author's experience, this can be interrupted by mentally training oneself to only travel down adaptive pathways of thinking. With this approach, old pathways of thinking are abandoned.There are a number of techniques that can be employed to establish and reinforce newer adaptive pathways of thinking. It's not for everybody and should not be used exclusively, but first and foremost among techniques is mindfulness. The author has seen it work again and again. Introduced to the world by Buddha for the purpose of enlightenment, nowadays it is used for mental health issues. The mindfulness here is different from the type taught in DBT. The author is not saying that DBT mindfulness doesn't work; it's just that he has seen better outcomes with the type he teaches. He learned the basics of it at IMS at Barre, Massachusetts, during various meditation retreats.Modern psychology does not address the invisible spiritual worlds that interface with the physical world. According to religious teachings, these worlds really exist and forces from them can influence our thinking. Reportedly, an archangel rebelled against God and was booted out of heaven. A third of the angels went down with him to earth. They seek to have us act in such a way so that when we die, they can claim our souls and torture us in hell. The present work at least addresses this issue. Likewise, energy medicine is discussed briefly.

Practice: Reidealization No. 1

Visualize or idealize in your mind a lifestyle or way of being that does not include the addictive substance or activity. Imagine that not only does it not include it but it’s also incompatible with it. Think of all the advantages this new lifestyle or way of being has. You can still be happy if you don’t use the addictive substance or engage in the addictive behavior; in fact, you can be happier. Visualize yourself getting more of the things you want in life by being sober or straight than you would if you were using. If food is your problem, visualize yourself being slender. Use your imagination, but at the same time, be realistic. Also, visualize yourself being rewarded by going to heaven for giving up the addiction, as opposed to how it might be if you don’t live a more virtuous life. Think about your new way of being often.

“Flash” your idealized self or idealized way of being in your mind’s eye when you have cravings for whatever it is you’re addicted to. This idealized self or idealized way of being is an alternative to indulging in the addictive substance or activity. For example, if you have a food addiction, flash a picture of an idealized slender self when you have cravings for a candy bar. Isn’t this slender self a more pleasant alternative than the candy bar and the associated fat self?

See if this technique doesn’t guide your mind along right paths of thinking. Remember that at first, it takes conscious effort and work. The technique won’t happen by itself. Eventually, it becomes a habit and then occurs more and more automatically. This can be done in addition to, or instead of, deidealization techniques.

Practice: Reidealization No. 2

When you begin to think about the addictive substance or activity, tell yourself that what you really want is true happiness. True happiness is found in realms and ways of being that are incompatible with the addiction. Addiction presumably only produces temporary pleasure, not happiness. Thinking this way steals energy from the addiction. This technique is discussed more in-depth in the section entitled “Psycholinguistic Programming (PLP) for Addiction” later on in the book.

Practice: Reidealization No. 3

Visualize where and how you want to be ten years from now. Do you still want to be in your present predicament or how you are now? If not, now is the time to change. Addiction is incompatible with your new self. Work on getting over it today. Learn to reject things that can sabotage you from getting to where and how you want to be ten years from now.

Behavioral Therapy

Several behavioral approaches are very useful for controlling and eliminating substance addiction. Strictly speaking, behavioral therapy is not cognitive therapy per se, but it’s being included for completeness’ sake.

One behavioral approach is to control the contingencies of behavior—the environmental cues or prompts that lead to ingestion of the problematic drug, alcohol, or food. Examples of such contingencies are parties, hanging out with drinking buddies, bars, and rock videos on TV (as in the case of drugs). Most people don’t realize how powerful contingencies are. To a large degree our behavior, thoughts, even our outlooks on life, are shaped or heavily influenced by our environment, including the people we associate with.

This point cannot be overemphasized. Detrimental environmental cues must be avoided, at least early on, or therapy is doomed to failure. Alcoholics cannot continue to frequent bars or hang out with drinking buddies and expect to abstain. Also, contingencies need to be replaced, not just avoided. An alcoholic will need to get a new set of friends, perhaps go to church instead of bars, and maybe even move to a new neighborhood, if he is to succeed.

Another behavioral ploy that can be used is delaying. If one has broken down and decided to take that first drink, ingest that drug, or eat that junk food, one should put it off for five minutes. The next time, one should put it off for ten minutes, and so on down the line. By doing this, one gains increments of self-control and a sense of self-determination. One’s willpower increases.

A variation of the above is to reward oneself with ingestion of the addictive substance for having delayed taking it in the first place. This technique should only be used if one is going to take the addictive substance anyway; it’s only half a step better than not doing anything at all. The hope, though, is that by delaying it more and more, eventually one will regain self-control to the point that one will delay taking it indefinitely—i.e., will be in a state of not using.

Practice: Avoid Contingencies of Behavior

Avoid going to parties and bars, hanging out with drinking buddies, watching rock videos on TV (as in the case of drugs), reading magazines about rock stars, and listening to corruptive music. Cultivate a new set of friends, take up a sport or hobby, and maybe even start going to church regularly. Avoid the situations that used to lead to using.

Practice: Delaying

If and only if you’ve broken down and decided to use, at least delay it for a set time period. The next time you use, delay it for an even longer period of time, and so on down the line. By doing this, at least you have gained some degree of self-control, however small. If need be, reward yourself for having delayed by actually ingesting the addictive substance. Hopefully by using this strategy, you will someday be delaying for so long that you’ll lose your desire for it. Eventually, you may be delaying indefinitely. Use this strategy as a last-gasp measure, as a final resort. You’re changing a rout into an ordered retreat.

Substitute Gratifications

Gratifications are activities that provide enjoyment or pleasure. Everybody needs some of this in his or her life. However, the question becomes, Is the enjoyment beneficial or harmful? Obviously, it’s wise to indulge only in beneficial or at least nonharmful gratifications and not indulge in harmful ones.

Practice: Substitute gratifications

You might try writing two lists, one of harmful gratifications and the other of beneficial or nonharmful ones. Later, when you sense that you need gratification of some type, some enjoyment, pick an activity from the beneficial or nonharmful list and avoid the activities on the harmful list.

Mindfulness as Therapy: Warnings

The following warnings or precautions were in the original DVD Mindfulness as Therapy. The author thinks it’s appropriate to include them here, before the formal presentation about mindfulness.

1. The information on this DVD, video, and/or book is for informational and educational purposes only. It’s provided as is, and no warranty, express or implied, is made.
2. The information about mindfulness here has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not an approved therapy.
3. In Dr. Pryatel’s opinion, the mindfulness techniques presented here should be considered an experimental therapy.
4. Anyone using them will have to accept the risk, if any. If you’re not willing to accept the risk, stop here and don’t proceed further.
5. The creators, producers, and distributors of this program disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the instructions expressed herein.
6. Mindfulness techniques have traditionally been used by Buddhist monks and other yogis and meditators for the purpose of attaining enlightenment.
7. It is not known how much risk is involved when members of the general public use mindfulness for therapy.
8. The risks include but are not limited to the following:
   1. An increase in your current symptoms or addiction
   2. New or additional symptoms or addiction
   3. Feelings of unreality about yourself or the world

1. If you’re not willing to accept the risks, stop here and don’t proceed further.
2. Mindfulness may be useful for dealing with mild emotional distress or reactions, loss (such as from broken relationships), and mild addiction, but Dr. Pryatel is not prescribing it to you.
3. If ...

Table of contents

• Mastery versus Regression
• Deidealization Therapy
• Practice: Deidealization
• Reidealization Therapy
• Practice: Reidealization No. 1
• Practice: Reidealization No. 2
• Practice: Reidealization No. 3
• Behavioral Therapy
• Practice: Avoid Contingencies of Behavior
• Practice: Delaying
• Substitute Gratifications
• Practice: Substitute gratifications
• Mindfulness as Therapy: Warnings
• Mindfulness
• Definition of Mindfulness
• Location of Objects
• Target of Attention
• Reason for Practicing Mindfulness: Buffer Zone
• Buffer Zone: Paradoxical Quality I
• Buffer Zone: Inner Buffer Zone
• Four Steps to Mindfulness
• Linguistics
• Examples of Mindfulness Example 1
• Mechanism of Mindfulness: How It Works
• Buffer Zone: Paradoxical Quality II
• Examples of Mindfulness Example 2
• Examples of Mindfulness Example 3
• Defense Mechanisms
• Attenuation of the Emotional Reaction or Desire: Weakening or Lessening It
• Push Buttons
• Duration of Mindfulness
• I. Focus Much More on the Labeling
• II. Ignore the Story and the Object
• III. Indirect Mindfulness
• Disidentification Statements
• Indications for Indirect Mindfulness
• Martyrism and Poor-Meism
• Poor-Meism or Self-Pity
• Martyrism
• Masochism
• Summary: Poor-Meism, Martyrism, and Masochism
• Three Steps of Mindfulness
• Recognition
• Acceptance
• Disidentification
• Precursor Emotions and Desires
• Three Strata of Mindfulness
• Mindfulness for Thought: Primary Disidentification Phrase
• Primary Disidentification Phrase for Thought + Prephrases (Prefixes)
• Primary Disidentification Phrase for Thought + Prephrases (Prefixes) + Secondary Precursor Phrases
• Primary Disidentification Phrase for Thought + Postphrases (Suffixes)
• Thought Replacement
• Mindfulness of Category of Thought
• General Mindfulness
• Proliferation of Thought
• Mindfulness for Broken Relationships
• Mindfulness for Suicide and Self-Harm Feelings
• Mindfulness for Addiction
• Addiction Driven by Low-Level Dysphoria
• Mindfulness for Desire
• Mindfulness for Identification
• Mindfulness of the Body
• Summary
• Selective Inattention
• Practice: Selective Inattention
• Power of Renunciation
• Practice: Renunciation
• Psycholinguistic Programming (PLP) for Addiction
• Practice: PLP for Addiction
• Warrior Therapy
• Practice: Warrior Therapy
• The Fisherman Technique
• Living in the Now
• Practice: Living in the Now
• Practice: Living in the Now for Addiction
• Christian Theology
• Prayer
• Dragon Theory
• Sports Psychology
• Practice: Self-Motivation and Other Coach Statements
• Practice: Counteract Discouragement
• Practice: Martial Artist of the Mind
• Yoga Psychology
• Practice: Yoga Psychology No. 1
• Practice: Masturbation Therapy
• Practice: Yoga Psychology No. 2
• Opening the Heart
• Metta
• Compassion
• Thought Control
• Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
• A. Facing and Living in the Now
• Summary and Discussion
• B. Visualization: Mental Rehearsal
• C. Develop a Process-Oriented Value System
• D. Think Positive
• E. Proper Preparation
• F. Letting Go
• G. Incorporate Conquering Fear and Anxiety into Your Project for Attaining Mastery
• H. View Things from an Impermanence Perspective
• I. Reduce Aversion and Anxiety about Possible Negative Outcomes
• J. Mindfulness for Fear and Anxiety
• K. Have Confidence and Faith
• L. Love
• M. Energy: Qigong Warning and Medicolegal Disclaimer
• N. Concentration
• O. Tapping Techniques
• P. Existential Anxiety
• Correcting Disorders of Thinking
• I. Don’t Think Negative
• I-A and B. Practice: For Concentrating on Negative Aspects, Negative Attributes, and Negative Value Judgments About Those Aspects and Attributes
• I-C. Practice: For Concentrating on (a) Possible Negative Outcomes And Making Repeated (b) Negative Possibility And/Or Negative Certainty Statements
• Process-Oriented Value System for Reducing Anxiety
• Get Over Any Underlying Self-Defeating Tendency or Martyr Complex That’s Present
• Outcome Therapy
• I-D. Practice: For Concentrating on Negative Meanings
• I-E. Practice: For Concentrating on Lack or Deficiency
• I-Fa. Practice: For Comparing Yourself to Others, When You Are Worse Off
• I-Fb. Practice: For Comparing Yourself to Others When You Are Better Off
• I-G. Practice: For Wallowing in Self-Pity, Poor-Meism, and Martyrism
• I-H. Practice: Identification with Maladaptive Archetypes
• I-I. Practice: For Complaining and Worrying
• I-J. Practice: For Concentration on Insufficient Form, Bad Results, Mistakes, Gambles That Didn’t Work, and Evil Deeds
• I-K. Practice: For Projected Sinister Thoughts
• II. Don’t Have Maladaptive Expectations
• III. Don’t Be Overly Attached to a Particular Outcome
• IV. Nonjudgmental Statements
• Practice: Nonjudgmental Statements
• V. Neutral Statements
• Practice: Neutral Statements
• Practice: Upgrading Negative and Painful Events to Neutral
• Practice: Linking Negative and Painful Events to Neutral Things
• VI. Acceptance
• Practice: Acceptance
• VII. Think Philosophically
• VII-A. Take Things from the Commonsense Perspective
• VII-B. Take Things from a Spiritual-Lesson or Reframing Perspective
• VII-C. Take Things from an Impersonal Perspective
• VII-C. 1. Take Things from a Cause-and-Effect Perspective123
• VII-C. 2. Take Things from an Energy Perspective
• VII-D. Take Things from an Impermanence Perspective
• VII-E. Take Things from a Spiritual-Judgment Perspective (This Is Synonymous with Having a Process-Oriented Value System)
• VII-F. Take Things from a Nonmaterialistic-Value-System Perspective
• VII-G. Playing the Duality
• VIII. Combination Thinking
• IX. Think Positive
• IX-A. Concentrating on Positive Aspects and Attributes
• IX-B. Reframing
• IX-C. Positive Thinking about Outcomes
• IX-D. Momentum
• IX-E. Passion
• IX-F. Gratitude
• IX-G. Self-Esteem
• IX-H. Visualization
• IX-I. Positive-Thinking Statements
• IX-J. Miscellaneous
• X. Don’t Polarize
• XI. Don’t Overpersonalize
• XII. Accept Responsibility
• Practice: Accepting Responsibility
• XIII. Try to Have a Good Attitude
• Practice: Attitude Adjustment
• Practice: Good Attitude
• Practice: Willingness to Be Corrected and to Self-Correct
• XIV. Letting Go
• Practice: Letting Go
• Practice: Free Will
• Practice: Lack of Responsibility
• Practice: Hanging On (Getting Over)
• XV. Nonattachment
• XVI. Forgiveness
• Practice: Forgiveness
• XVII. Respect
• XVIII. Flexible Thinking
• Difficult Life Situations
• I. Things Not Working Out for You
• II. Failure
• III. Mistakes and Consequences
• IV. A Romantic Relationship Not Working Out
• V. Loss of a Loved One
• VI. Anger Management
• Practice: Deidealize Anger
• Practice: Outcome Therapy
• Practice: Consequence Therapy
• Practice: Reidealize Virtue and Love
• Practice: Others
• VII. Depression and Not Having/Getting What You Want in the World
• Practice: Virtue versus Nonvirtue
• VIII. Envy
• IX. Jealousy
• X. Guilt
• XI. Suicidal Feelings
• XII. Unfulfilled Desire
• Nutrition
• Spiritual Warfare