Anchored Illness to Frustration - Paradoxical Intention
By Joe Donahue
Recently, I noticed that every time I got in the shower I'd start coughing. When I realized what I'd done, I just laughed about it. Every time I do, it gets a little less.
Paradoxical Intention
Another technique consideration is the 'bringing on' the symptoms willfully. Believe me its difficult to bring up symptoms that are unconsciously acted on in a conscious manner. It's a little of the " Paradoxical Intention" of Victor Frankl. I implemented this to counteract 'bad habit' formation in the performance of athletes. I made them 'do' willfully what they were 'doing' in reaction to anxiety. It is a very successful technique and brings on the laughter even before the 'doing'. Each little anxiety response is it's own program within a greater set of programs..sort of a batch file. In the case of the 'bad'performance technique, it requires anxiety to initiate it. If you modify the emotional state the program is disrupted.
Remember the power of "Don't" if you say to a football player " don't drop the ball!" he will most likely....drop the ball! So if you reverse the program information and say "When you catch the ball drop it accidentally." It will be difficult for him to 'accidentally' drop the ball! If you modify the input data ( add humor for example ) the program is modified as well. Some may phrase it more to their own communication style but the principle of pattern interrupt is utilized. There are possibilities for this in imagery as well as we watch ourselves in a disassociated manner.......we become very human.
Joe Donahue