There was a game I enjoyed playing in childhood called “Red Light, Green Light.” Describing gameplay, one source states:
· Start with everyone along the starting line,
· When you say ‘Green Light,’ everyone will move towards the finish line,
· When you say ‘Red Light,’ everyone must immediately stop.
· If players are still moving when you call ‘Red Light’, they must go back to the starting line.
· Start a new round when everyone gets across the finish line or when most players make it across the finish line.
Rather than enjoying the ability to influence the behavior of other players, I liked dashing toward the finish line and immediately stopping when “red light” was called out. Although I could stop my forward advance, I liked that my body continued in motion, per the Principle of Inertia.
The game served the purpose of teaching kids to listen to and follow instructions. Little did I know at the time how knowledge of the childhood game would come in handy in adulthood.
Later in life, when in Marine Corps boot camp, a similar game was played by drill instructors (DIs). Recruits were required to move with speed and intensity when completing tasks.
However, a DI would suddenly appear out of seemingly nowhere and yell out, “Zero,” a command requiring all recruits to immediately stop whatever they were doing. Recruits were then to resoundingly reply, “Freeze, recruits, freeze!”
At that time, inertia wasn’t as funny, because any recruit still moving was swiftly punished. The game was a method of teaching recruits to stop in an instant, in case we ever encountered landmines or other booby traps as Marines.
Long since childhood and boot camp, I now reflect upon the aforementioned games when practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). In particular, I think of the process related to self-disturbance.
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.
As was the case with “Red Light, Green Light” and the game played by DIs, self-disturbing beliefs which are already in motion continue in motion until acted upon by an outside force. Thus, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
Still, page 178 of The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion invites REBT practitioners to help clients understand that not always will they be able to prevent themselves from beginning to self-disturb, but that they can stop themselves from continuing to self-disturb.
There’s no way I could prevent a DI from behaving in one manner or other. However, when receiving commands from irrational beliefs – often at inconvenient times, as was the case with DIs – I can tell myself, “Zeeerrroooooooo,” as was the elongated command used by DIs.
Use of disputation can be quite helpful in this regard. Likewise, practice of unconditional acceptance is a productive resolution to self-disturbance. It’s like when as a child I accepted that my body remained in motion and I actually enjoyed the acknowledgement that I wasn’t in full control once inertia was in play.
Why not make a game of self-disturbance next time your unhelpful beliefs present themselves? Red light!! If you’ve found this REBT technique useful and would like to know more about how to stop upsetting yourself, I’m here to help. Green light!!
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
Photo credit (edited), fair use
References:
Dryden, W. and Neenan, M. (2003). The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion. Albert Ellis Institute. ISBN 0-917476-26-3. Library of Congress Control Number: 20031044378
Hollings, D. (2022, May 17). Circle of concern. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/circle-of-concern
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2023, May 18). Irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/irrational-beliefs
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2024, April 22). On disputing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-disputing
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Sensation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/sensation
Hollings, D. (2022, October 7). Should, must, and ought. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/should-must-and-ought
Hollings, D. (2022, November 9). The ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-abc-model
Hollings, D. (2022, July 11). Unconditional acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance
Macrovector. (n.d.). Realistic green and red traffic lights vertical banners set [Image]. Freepik. Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-green-red-traffic-lights-vertical-banners-set_3925397.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=40&uuid=16319e19-9bca-4905-a1f7-29001ef39ad6
Playworks. (n.d.). Red light, green light. Retrieved from https://www.playworks.org/game-library/red-light-green-light/
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Inertia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertia
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