Abstract
Stress responses and negative emotions last longer when different areas of the brain and body mutually activate each other. If this happens, these vicious cycles can override the natural regulation mechanisms in the brain and in the body. One vicious cycle that contributes to the maintenance of negative emotions occurs when the amygdala activates areas in the prefrontal cortex that are associated with avoidance of unpleasant experiences, such as negative emotions. If this occurs, a person may desperately desire to get rid of a negative emotion they are experiencing. Since it is difficult to get rid of emotions, this is unlikely to occur, and the failure to get rid of the negative emotion will further activate the amygdala, which could further activate the areas in the prefrontal cortex that are associated with avoidance. This vicious cycle can be prevented or interrupted with ART Skill #4—Acceptance and Tolerance.
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Berking, M., Whitley, B. (2014). Module Five: Acceptance and Tolerance. In: Affect Regulation Training. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1022-9_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1022-9_13
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