Photo credit (edited), fair use
One of the main components of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is the ABC model. When working with new clients, I use psychoeducation to teach about this technique so that people can understand, believe in, and frequently practice this psychotherapeutic modality.
REBT theory uses the ABC model to illustrate how when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant cognitive, emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
From a psychological standpoint, people disturb themselves using a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no Action-Consequence (A-C) connection.
As an example, if a bee stings you (Action), you may feel (sensation) pain (Consequence). From an A-C perspective, the sensation of pain from a bee sting occurs in the naturalistic world. However, this sting doesn’t cause you to feel angry (emotion).
From a psychological outlook, the B-C connection demonstrates how people upset themselves. Therefore, a bee stings you (Action), you unhelpfully Believe, “That shouldn’t have happened to me,” and then you disturb yourself into an angry disposition (Consequence).
Thus, I help people to stop upsetting themselves through use of B-C connections, though I can’t fully resolve their A-C connections. Although it may be nice to imagine that a psychotherapist can prevent future bee stings, I don’t have the power to create that sort of change.
In regard to imagination, I find it humorous and useful to reimagine the ABCDE interplay. If there were a mathematical formula for the ABC model, it would be something like: Action + Belief = Consequence ÷ Disputation = Effective new belief.
Still, suppose that if I were to re-conceptualize the ABC model as that relating to the occurrence of Adversity, the Bullshit we tell ourselves, this assumption which leads to the Crappy way we feel or behave, and the Disruption of bullshit – the outcome of which leads to an Efficient adaptation of what instead may be considered; what would that look like?
To provide an oversimplified example of this reimagined ABCDE chain, consider the following:
Adversity – Your clogged toilet overflows and is now spilling urine and feces on your bathroom floor.
Bullshit – Although the literally shitty situation soils the floor from an A-C perspective, it doesn’t cause a figuratively shitty outcome from a B-C outlook.
Rather, you tell yourself some bullshit such as, “This is terrible,” rather than merely inconvenient and, “I can’t stand this,” instead of admitting that while unpleasant you can tolerate and accept the adverse event.
Crappy – Because you’ve convinced yourself, using a bullshit narrative – that you supposedly can’t stand a terrible situation – you feel crappy and respond frantically to the bullshit narrative in a crappy manner.
Instead of remaining cool, calm, and collected, you feel angry, feel the pounding of your heartbeat, and frantically plunge the toilet while slipping on the piss and shit which is spilling onto your floor (behavior).
Disruption – The A-C adversity didn’t cause your reaction. Instead, you upset yourself using a bullshit narrative that resulted in a B-C connection.
As if the literally shitty situation weren’t messy enough, the figuratively shitty outcome you’ve created for yourself doesn’t help to accomplish your interests and goals (i.e., desire to quickly resolve the matter and to do so without unnecessarily aggravating factors of the adverse event).
Therefore, you could disrupt the bullshit narrative by admitting that although the event is undesirable and unexpected, it isn’t terrible. It’s merely inconvenient. As well, it isn’t true that you can’t stand that the overflow occurred.
While you may not be able to literally stand while slipping on the wet floor, you can figuratively stand (tolerate) the unpleasant adversity. After all, you’re able to plunge the toilet in an attempt to resolve the issue rather than fainting from an overwhelmed psychological experience.
Efficient – Your efficient adaptation of what instead may be considered is something like, “While I wish that this literally shitty situation wasn’t happening; it is occurring. I can make matters worse by overreacting in association with a bullshit narrative, though I instead choose to endure adversity while resolving the issue in a rational manner.”
Which cognitive script do you think would best serve you in the moment, a bullshit narrative or an efficient one? Personally, efficiency during adversity is the way to go. This is ABCDE reimagined. If you’d like to know more about REBT and rational living, I’m here to help.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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