top of page
Writer's pictureDeric Hollings

Turn It Around

 

I can’t recall exactly when I first heard it or the precise version to which I was initially introduced, though at some point in my past I enjoyed the electronic dance music (EDM) song “Turn It Around.” Lyrics include:

 

Turn it around, baby

Spend more time with me

Try to believe you

Try to believe you

 

Turn it around, baby

Spend more time with me

It’s getting insane, I know

Let it not be true

 

Turn it around baby

Turn it around

 

I need you

I can only be myself with you

I need you

I can only be myself with you

I can only be myself

 

Written by Dutch DJ and producer Carlo Resoort, one version of “Turn It Around” features the vocals of Alena Lova. This version reminds me of the club scene in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil at the turn of the millennium. Notably, a number of Rio DJ’s remixed the track.

 

Another version of “Turn It Around,” by 4 Strings, features the vocals of Susanne Teutenberg. This version reminds me of my transition from San Diego, California to Amarillo, Texas after beginning voluntary appellate leave following a special court-martial.

 

The former version reflects joy while the latter once echoed sorrow. As such, “Turn It Around” was a bittersweet song to me for quite some time. Inopportunely, I didn’t know about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) regarding the unhealthy negative emotions I experienced in association with my court-martial and which influenced my perception of the track.

 

For context, 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 (LFT), 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, when a fellow military police (MP) officer used excessive force when placing me in handcuffs (Action), I subsequently developed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (Consequence). There was a direct A-C connection between cuffing and physical injury.

 

Nevertheless, when I unhelpfully Believed, “That shouldn’t have happened to me, because MPs ought to treat each other with dignity,” I self-disturbed into an angry disposition (Consequence). As such, I upset myself with a B-C connection.

 

When using REBT, I help people to stop upsetting themselves through use of B-C connections, though I can’t fully resolve their A-C connections. For instance, I can’t travel back into time and prevent actions which led to my military apprehension.

 

This is where the lyrics of “Turn It Around” are relevant to my situation. I irrationally believed that as an MP I was owed some form of respect from fellow law enforcement officers. Thus, for years following my arrest and court-martial I tortured myself with beliefs about my legal issues.

 

As though I was speaking to myself, when cognitively dwelling on the unfavorable event, I desperately demanded to “turn it around.” However, the ABC model isn’t a magical wheel that affords one an opportunity to rewind time.

 

Once I learned of, understood, believed in, and began frequent practice of REBT, it was as though I instead told myself, “Turn it around, Deric; spend more time with disputation. Try to believe you have the ability to change how you feel. Try to believe you can get better.”

 

Thus, rational self-talk, using lyrics from “Turn It Around” helped to reduce self-disturbance. I was encouraged to admit, “It’s getting insane, I know. Let it not be true that you’ll keep yourself imprisoned within a cognitive and emotive pen so long after you left the Marine Corps.”

 

Helpfully, REBT uses the technique of unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance.

 

Therefore, self-talk from a UA perspective resulted in me saying to myself, “I need you to let go of the past. I can only be myself within the present. Turn it around, Deric. Accept without conditions. Turn it around.”

 

“Turn It Around” was once a bittersweet song to me. However, I’m no longer cuffed by the past; no longer imprisoned in a cognitive and emotive prison of my own making.

 

Now, I enjoy the 2019 version of “Turn It Around,” by Van Duo, with its tempo flaws and all, as though there never was an unpleasant memory associated with the track. Essentially, I found a way to remix my life – much as “Turn It Around” has been remixed throughout the years.

 

Perhaps you, too, have experienced unpleasant actions while disturbing yourself with unhelpful beliefs. Would you like to know more about how to proverbially remix your life so that you may get better by unshackling yourself? If so, 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, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

 

As the world’s original EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues 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:

Dance Division, The. (2018, May 6). 4 Strings Turn It Around [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/MbhJ0NC7yKI?si=yKIRgLIaomQgsjD6

Discogs. (n.d.). Alena. Retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/artist/11143-Alena

Discogs. (n.d.). Susanne Teutenberg. Retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/artist/5583044-Susanne-Teutenberg

Discogs. (n.d.). Van Duo – Turn It Around. Retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/es/release/13162563-VAN-DUO-Turn-It-Around

Hollings, D. (2022, October 31). Demandingness. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/demandingness

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. (2024, April 2). Four major irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/four-major-irrational-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better

Hollings, D. (2023, September 13). Global evaluations. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/global-evaluations

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. (2022, December 2). Low frustration tolerance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/low-frustration-tolerance

Hollings, D. (2023, March 21). Matching bracelets. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/matching-bracelets

Hollings, D. (2024, April 22). On disputing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-disputing

Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings

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. (2023, August 26). Self-talk. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-talk

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. (2023, September 6). The absence of suffering. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-absence-of-suffering

Hollings, D. (2022, December 23). The A-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-a-c-connection

Hollings, D. (2022, December 25). The B-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-b-c-connection

Hollings, D. (2022, November 15). To don a hat. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-don-a-hat

Hollings, D. (2022, July 11). Unconditional acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2023, March 11). Unconditional life-acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-life-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2023, February 25). Unconditional other-acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-other-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2023, March 1). Unconditional self-acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-self-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2024, January 16). Understanding, belief, and practice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/understanding-belief-and-practice

Hollings, D. (2024, March 18). Unhealthy vs. healthy negative emotions. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unhealthy-vs-healthy-negative-emotions

Spinnin’ Records. (2019, February 2). Van Duo - Turn It Around (Official audio) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rG0DOnW-IUA?si=fIllciw9k4Q7PLOy

TMF90Dance. (2009, October 11). Alena - Turn It Around [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0kNDKr5ofKk?si=8uE240eh6zD6qtUR

Wikipedia. (n.d.). 4 Strings. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_Strings

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Carlo Resoort. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Resoort

0 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Goodbyes

Σχόλια


bottom of page