Breaking the Avoidance Loop: Why You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns
About this episode
The episode explores how avoidance fuels repetitive patterns and discusses strategies to break the avoidance loop.
We all have patterns we can see clearly…and still can't seem to stop. Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how avoidance fuels these patterns, and how we can break the avoidance loop by updating our expectations and predictions about the future. They discuss what avoidance coping is, how the brain works as a prediction machine, why that means insight alone usually isn't enough to break a pattern, and what the current science of exposure and expectancy violation says about how change actually happens. This is the first of two episodes dedicated to this topic, the second will focus on how to brave our feared experiences and go from insight to action. Key Topics: 00:00: Intro: avoidance coping and mental predictions 8:07: Five types of avoidance behaviors 17:35: The invisible cage 23:50: Predictive processing 29:49: Identity and high confidence predictions 34:30: How avoidance can perpetuate painful experiences 40:01: Exposure and the Inhibitory Learning Model 52:00: Answering common questions 56:07: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Go to Zocdoc.com/BEINGWELL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dr. Rick Hanson, Forrest Hanson
Topics covered
- avoidance coping
- mental predictions
- behavior patterns
- exposure therapy
- expectancy violation
- self-improvement
Keywords
- avoidance
- patterns
- mental health
- prediction machine
- exposure
- behavior change
- insight
- coping strategies
Sponsors
Zocdoc, Rocket Money
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