David and Jill Show is back! Treating Habits and Addictions, Part 2
Hi all!
Here is a mind-blowing email I just got from a fan who watched the David and Jill Show (with special guest Mike Christensen) two days ago. I’m sure you’re going to LOVE it!
On the show, we illustrated several powerful TEAM-CBT methods for defeating habits and addictions (especially overeating):
- Double Paradox
- Addiction / Habit Log
- Devil’s Advocate Technique
- and more.
Next Sunday, April 22, 2018, we will probably discuss the Four “Great Deaths” of the Ego on the David and Jill Show at 3 PM. The Buddha was the first, I believe, to talk about the death of the “self” as the key to enlightenment, but now we have not one, but four separate “great deaths.” We will discuss them from a psychological as well as a spiritual perspective.
And now, here’s is the really cool email I just received from an individual I’ll call “X.”
Respected and Dear Dr. Burns,
Your Facebook live show this Sunday (Apr 15th) was just brilliant! I thought it’ll be a good idea to share my own experience with you regarding my problem with overeating. Please let me know if I’ve made any errors while applying Paradoxical Agenda Setting or Devil’s Advocate Technique. I am getting great results and able to follow a diet plan for last two weeks since I did this. Below is my records of 1. Paradoxical Agenda Setting & 2. Devil’s Advocate.
Paradoxical Agenda Setting for understanding the benefits of my overeating:
- I feel great about my life when I eat whatever I want & that I am in control of my finances.
- When I order expensive food in classy restaurant, I feel like I’m a financially superior person,
- I don’t need to deal with my anxiety & negative thoughts, instead I can order a lot of delicious food.
- I can brag about all the things I’ve eaten & efforts I’ve taken to obtain many fine delicacies.
- I take pride in my fastidious, obsessive admiration of cuisines & demand respect from people around me while eating or cooking anything.
- I love to go to expensive restaurants, flaunting mismatch cloths to pretend I’m some well -heeled, eccentric, powerful member of society with great connections & influence.
With these advantages in my mind I tried the Devil’s Advocate Technique. Here’s my dialogue with the imaginary tempter, the “Devil.”
Devil (D): Isn’t this a great morning? Let’s begin with a lovely breakfast from ‘German Bakery’ or Starbucks, tell me where do you want to go?
Me: Yes, this is a truly great morning. I just love it! I’m feeling really fresh & energetic. It is best to start with finishing off the draft of the paper. I don’t think having a breakfast will be very helpful now.
D: Oh!!! How can you work on empty stomach? Let’s got to some classy place & have a breakfast shaming even businessmen.
Me: I know very well that fasting helps me work better with amazing concentration & deep insight. So it is great to have empty stomach; & since when have I started bothering so much about what other think of me?
D: No, you will get anxious while dealing with difficulties in course of writing the paper. You need to eat something. A sweet, soft, juicy pastry or cheesy, creamy, rich sandwich will help you relax & get in proper mood. Let’s have some mac & cheese with that amazing Mango baked cheese cake!
Me: Surely, it does makes me relaxed after having the delicacies you mentioned. But this has unfortunate side effect too, as it makes me feel bloated, tired and sleepy. Also the only proven way to deal with anxiety is to understand and record distorted negative thoughts; then countering them with truth based positive thoughts. This whole process itself is very enlightening and sometimes downright enjoyable!
D: Stop rambling like a stupid. You are what you eat & if you eat nothing, you are nothing – you can’t afford to eat delicious, expensive food & that’s why you pretend you need to diet. It’s just way to fool everyone including yourself, you are actually hiding your poverty & sub-standard quality of life.
Me: I do find it difficult to agree with “you are what you eat” statement, can you elaborate on it a bit so I can understand it better? For example, if I eat chicken, then do I become chicken?
D: This just proves it that you are an idiot, sub-standard person, not worthy of living in this society. Your level of stupidity is unprecedented on this planet. For God’s sake just eat something now or you will kill yourself by starving., you stupid fool!!!
Me: I totally agree with you about my stupidity & I may add to that, I’m sometimes rather stubborn too and that has caused some disasters in past. But I do like to test things thoroughly before I give up on them. And as you said I’m stupid so I may continue ‘stupidly’ believing that following this diet is helping me till I get results contrary to the belief.
D: It will be too late by then & you’ll permanently damage your brain & kidneys. I have to force you to eat something, now!
Me: It is better to take chance with this one and according to my doctor this is not remotely as dangerous as you say it is. Hare-brained me can’t understand everything through logical arguments like you do; so I need to take some real experience. What do you think?
D: I give up! go kill yourself! You alone will be responsible for your misery.
Me: Oh, not today, but thanks a ton for the suggestion, and for your concern!
Listening to your Sunday broadcast I felt compelled to try this technique, which has been very helpful! Apologies for a bit long email, I hope you would get time to read it.
Once again thank you very much for writing the great books and making all the resource available to everyone. I believe I will get a chance to meet you in person someday.
Sincerely,
X
Some Cool Upcoming Workshops
Coming in May! This one is SOLD OUT in person but we still have PLENTY OF SPACE TO JOIN ONLINE!
May 20th, 2018 Advanced, High-Speed CBT for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety A one day workshop by Drs. David Burns and Jill Levitt. 6 CE Credits, $135
You can join in person or online from wherever you live!
There are no spots left for the live workshop in Palo Alto, but we still have room for you to join us for the online version. We will have helpers to guide the small group exercises for those online, including the fantastic Mike Christensen.
Coming in June! One of my best two day workshops ever!
“Scared Stiff: Fast, Effective Treatment for Anxiety Disorders”
a two-day workshop Sponsored by Jack Hirose & Associates
June 4 -5, 2018 Calgary, Canada
June 6 – 7, 2018 Winnipeg, Canada
Mike Christensen and several others will be joining me at both locations to help out with supervision of the small group exercises. You’ll LOVE this workshop and you’ll learn TONS of powerful techniques to treat every type of anxiety. You’ll learn how to heal your clients and your own feelings of insecurity and self-doubt as well!
I greatly appreciate your support, and hope you will continue to spread the word about TEAM-CBT and www.feelinggood.com. i am trying hard to reach as many people as possible with my free programming and blogs designed to help individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, and habits and addictions, as well as the therapists who treat them!
David
