The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to… (original 2007; edition 2008)

What if almost everything we believed about finding happiness turned out to be inaccurate, misleading, or false? And what if those very beliefs were making us miserable? What if our efforts to find happiness were actually preventing it? A growing body of scientific research suggests that we are all caught in a powerful psychological trap: a vicious cycle, whereby the more we strive for happiness, the more we suffer. This book provides an escape from 'the happiness trap', via a revolutionary new development in human psychology: a powerful model for change, known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT helps people to create a rich, full and meaningful life, whilst effectively handling the pain that inevitably comes with it. It achieves this through the use of six powerful principles, which are very different to the 'common-sense' strategies suggested in most self-help books. ACT has been clinically proven to be highly effective in a wide range of psychological disorders, ranging from depression and anxiety to drug addiction and schizophrenia. It is no exaggeration to say that ACT is changing the very face of western psychology -- and it was recently written up as a major feature article in 'Time' magazine. Interestingly, although ACT is based on cutting-edge psychological research into human cognition, it has many parallels with ancient eastern philosophy. This book shows you how to apply ACT in your own life to increase self-awareness, develop emotional intelligence, enhance relationships, create a sense of meaning and purpose, access a transcendent sense of self, and fundamentally transform painful thoughts and feelings so they have much less impact and influence over your life.