A Fresh Start

[DISCLAIMER]

The above photo was taken in December 1996, after completion of Marine Corps Recruit Training (“boot camp”), as the image represents a fresh start for my life. Three months prior, I was at a crossroads (a crucial point, especially where a decision preferably must be made).

Although there were choices which contended with an ultimate binary option (i.e., going to college, starting a local job, etc.), I concluded that if I continued upon a path of criminality, then I’d have had a hard life. Thus, I joined the military (ironically, in the field of military police).

This brings me to a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), regarding the ABC model which illustrates a belief-consequence connection of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves with irrational beliefs). In specific, I consider conditional beliefs.

REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurrence itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence. Herein, I’ll briefly elaborate on my historic belief.

One of the four major irrational beliefs recognized in REBT literature is demandingness. While there are malleable and/or uncompromising forms of demands, one self-disturbing variety is a conditional should, must, or ought self-narrative, demonstrated in the following syllogism:

Form (modus ponens) –

If p, then q; p; therefore, q.

Example –

If I don’t want to continue upon a path of criminality, then I should join the military. I don’t want to continue upon a path of criminality. Therefore, I should join the military.

Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful attitudes, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unproductive philosophies of life in order to explore Effective new beliefs. Whereas rigid beliefs cause self-disturbance, flexible beliefs result in an un-disturbed condition.

It may be argued that the belief which resulted in my journey to boot camp was both logical and reasonable (collectively “rational”). For instance, one could assert that the benefits of my 11-year active duty military service outweighed the cost or expense of having served.

Alternatively, it could be reasonably stated that while a fresh start by way of military service was ultimately beneficial to me, symptoms of undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder – incurred in childhood and aggravated by military service – led to being kicked out of the Corps.

Setting aside viable alternate options (i.e., becoming a preacher, becoming a missionary, etc.), I think about conditional beliefs as being subject to, implying, or dependent upon a condition (a premise upon which the fulfillment of an agreement depends). It’s the dependency that matters.

Rather than a mere if-then premise, think about an either-or framing of this matter. Either I will continue upon a path of criminality, or I should join the military. While a somewhat subtle shift from the previous modus ponens example, the dependent nature of the either-or frame is rigid.

With an if-then premise, my binary choices were merely described. However, an either-or frame of the matter forms an inflexible conditional prescription. Understanding the distinction between description and prescription is important here.

A description is simply a thought or discourse intended to give a mental image of something experienced. On the other hand, a prescription is the thought or action of laying down authoritative rules or directions.

Given this understanding, an if-then premise can be both flexible and inflexible. Yet, an either-or framing of a belief is generally inflexible. Thus, rather than a malleable description, conditional beliefs are uncompromising forms of prescription (i.e., either you do it, or else!).

Conclusively, in retrospect, I likely used a helpful if-then belief when joining the Marines as a fresh start to life. Now that you (hopefully) have improved understanding in regard to if-then descriptions and either-or prescriptions, which will you use when giving yourself a fresh start?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help 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 try 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 trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

References:

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