Three Sentence Summary
Nine out of ten people have unwanted intrusive thoughts, but few of us know the most effective and paradoxical way to handle them. Freedom from not the thoughts themselves but the distress associated with them comes from normalization, redefining the goal of recovery, and implementing new methods of coping, including recognition, acceptance, and exposure.
Overall Impression
I enjoyed the new perspective on how to cope with anxiety surrounding unwanted intrusive thoughts. From the beginning of the book, it was reassuring to hear testimonies of people having similar thoughts that I do. There have been times in my life when I’ve been very distressed by thoughts about self-harm that seemingly come out of nowhere. I never knew until reading this book that this is actually a very common experience.
Favorite Quotes
Suffering about unwanted intrusive thoughts is a disorder of overcontrol, not under-control.
Winston et al. (p. 16)
The simple truth is that what you resist tends to persist.
Winston et al. (p. 14)
The goal is to feel that you can tolerate the anxiety better, as opposed to eliminating it completely.
Winston et al. (p. 142)
Top Takeaway
- Practice recognition, acceptance, and allowance of unwanted intrusive thoughts to pass without distress (e.g. trouble falling asleep).
Disclaimer
Please note: If you liked this review or my linked summary, I encourage you to purchase the book. This review is meant to be a supplement to the book and certainly not a substitute.
