Kweku’s Korner
By Dr. Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi
Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi, formerly known as Ramel Smith
This series on (ACT) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ends on the most powerful of notes. The note of doing. The note of executing. While taking drivers education class, our teacher informed us how to be great defensive drivers. He said the first step is to identify the situation on the road. Then make quick predictions based on the patterns and potential problems on the road. He later informed us that while driving we must quickly choose one of the predictions and decide from those early predictions what we will do to maneuver our car safely. Lastly, he stated three out of four is 75% which is normally good for passing. However, failing to go 4/4 in this specific equation would spell failure for us as a driver. The last step was to execute. He informed us that if we went through the trouble of identifying, predicting, and deciding but not executing, then the other three steps were a waste of time.
The last step of ACT is to execute but to execute with regularity and fidelity. The last step is Commitment. What is the person committing to? One is committed to understanding the past is the past; yet, being committed to facing that giant. One must be committed to defeating past thoughts that kept them enslaved to a legacy of paralyzing pain. Then one must be committed to learning to live in the present. The possibilities of the present must be at the forefront of their mind. As one commits to understanding the past but not being ruled by the past. As one is committed to living in the present, even if it brings momentary discomfort. That discomfort will slowly subside as we rewrite our new future.
The focus on commitment recognizes this is not an overnight journey, but one that will require resilience and perseverance. One becomes committed to understanding oneself in a way that allows them to maximize their potential by understanding oneself and standing ten toes down on their core beliefs which guide their actions. When one is committed, they recognize that they are not the past situations that once defined and paralyzed them in a state of fear and numbness. When one is committed, to putting into action the powerful interventions of psychological flexibility, mindfulness, positive affirmations, dismantling negative thoughts, actively finding alternative interventions that would allow one to dissociate from the pain; and committed to working with a professional to help guide one through this journey of self-discovery and recovery.
One must be committed for the long term. It is possible to feel better in a few weeks; however, for lasting gains to a complicated issue, know that this can take multiple sessions over months and even years. In fact, the work never ends, but it may not require as much assistance from a clinician as at the onset of therapy. It may be difficult, but it can be done, if one is willing to ACT! In the Japanese culture, they use the term GAMAN. It highlights how to keep your composure and patience in the face of adversity and challenging times.