Experiential avoidance is the tendency to escape or suppress uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, sensations, or memories. It provides short-term relief but amplifies distress long-term by reinforcing the message that internal experiences are dangerous and by narrowing the space of living.
Concept origin
Hayes, Wilson, and Strosahl (1999) developed the concept within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Empirical research showed that avoidance — not thought content — is the transdiagnostic factor maintaining anxiety and mood disorders.
How it manifests
- ▸ Withdrawing from situations, people, or places that trigger discomfort
- ▸ Actively distracting oneself to avoid certain emotional states
- ▸ Increasingly narrow life as more things are avoided
Therapeutic approach
ACT trains cognitive defusion (observing thoughts without fusing with them) and active acceptance of discomfort as a necessary condition for a meaningful life. Gradual exposure also directly addresses behavioral avoidance.
Related concepts
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