About this episode

The episode discusses how to manage intrusive thoughts related to insomnia through the concept of defusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Here's something that sounds obvious but is surprisingly hard to live by: just because you think something doesn't make it true. We treat our thoughts like they're authoritative. A thought shows up— "I'll never sleep normally again" —and we respond as if a judge just handed down a verdict. We feel it in our chest. We build our next three hours around it. We let it dictate what we do. But what if your thoughts aren't verdicts? What if they're more like suggestions—some useful, some not—that your brain offers up constantly, whether you asked for them or not? Defusion: stepping back from your thoughts In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, there's a concept called "defusion." It's the opposite of being fused with your thoughts—caught up in them, identified with them, controlled by them. Defusion doesn't mean arguing with your thoughts or trying to replace them with better ones. It means noticing you're thinking, and then stepping back to observe the thought from a slight distance. You become the person watching the thought instead of the person being the thought. This distinction matters for insomnia. When you're fused with an anxious thought at 2 a.m., it runs the show. When you're…

People in this episode

Host: Ivo H.K.

Topics covered

• insomnia
• thoughts
• defusion
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• mental health

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