ACT and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
I'm new to ACT and this is my first posting. I would like to hear from anyone with experience/opinions about using ACT when treating a client with multiple chemical sensitivity (sometimes known as "idiopathic environmental illness"). Since beginning weekly counseling with such a client, I have done some research to find out more about this syndrome. I've found that current medical opinion is that this condition's etiology and process is so far undetermined. It seems that there is not any research that supports any particular treatment as effective. The self-help information and even some medical/psychological opinions suggest a strategy of avoidance of potentially triggering environmental factors. People who identify with this syndrome become increasingly obsessed, in my opinion, with elaborate lifestyle choices in order to avoid all matter of environmental/chemical substances,such as, foods, shampoos, house paint, etc. My client has severely limited her activity in the community and it was quite an undertaking for her to come to my office.
So I've been thinking how ACT potentially offers a hopeful alternative. I am very early into the treatment of my client and am feeling that I should proceed slowly, more so than with other clients I treat who have more typical anxiety disorders. One contributing factor is how this client labels her experience of heart racing, shortness of breath, dizziness, disorientation, when exposed to the environmental trigger; she thinks of this experience as a pathological physiological response. Other clients I've treated come to me with a belief that their problem is anxiety. They are more open to learning about the purpose of "normal" anxiety and fairly quickly start increasing mindfulness and changing their mind set. I suppose it is a challenge of defusion. However, as I said, I am new to ACT and would appreciate others' input and ideas.
Susan Zimmmerman
User login
Upcoming Community Events
- 3-Day Eugene Intro and Skill Building with Kelly Wilson(Event)(3 days)
- Lancaster, PA--ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Powerful Life Change(Event)(8 days)
- King of Prussia, PA--ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Powerful Life Change(Event)(9 days)
- Cycle de Formation ACT Lyon, France Nov 2008-Mars 2009(Event)(9 days)
- Cherry Hill, NJ--ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Powerful Life Change(Event)(10 days)
- ACT: Using Mindfulness and Values to Make Powerful Life Change - Robyn Walser -Bel Air/West LA, California(Event)(11 days)
- ACT Interest Group, Sheffield, UK(Event)(17 days)
- Cycle de Formation ACT Lyon, France Nov 2008-Mars 2009(Event)(23 days)
- Vervolgcursus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Blooming, Bergen (NH)(Event)(24 days)
- ACT Training at the Albert Ellis Institute, NYC with DJ Moran(Event)(25 days)
- "Acceptance and Mindfulness in Clinical Practice" Steven C Hayes, Århus, Denmark 3.-4. of february 2009(Event)(28 days)
- Cycle de Formation ACT Lyon, France Nov 2008-Mars 2009(Event)(51 days)
- Introductiecursus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Bergen, Holland(Event)(52 days)
- La nouvelle génération de thérapie cognitive et comportementale : la théorie et la pratique - Frédérick Dionne, Ph.D.- Montreal (Event)(52 days)
- Workshop-Atelier ACT - Paris (2 jours)(Event)(59 days)
- Erfahrungsorientierter Einführungsworkshop in Lenzburg, Schweiz, mit Jan Martz und Rainer Sonntag(Event)(59 days)
- Evidence-Based Treatment Conference - Las Vegas, NV(Event)(62 days)
- Cycle de Formation ACT Lyon, France Nov 2008-Mars 2009(Event)(65 days)
- Dover, New Hampshire -- Making Bold Moves: Enhancing Your Practice with Acceptance & Commitment Therapy(Event)(74 days)
- Introductiecursus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Bergen, Holland(Event)(80 days)
- Awakening to Mindfulness Conference - San Diego, CA(Event)(86 days)
- 3-Day in Sydney: Skill Building and Case Conceptualization with Kelly Wilson(Event)(98 days)
- 3-Day in Brisbane: Skill Building and Case Conceptualization with Kelly Wilson(Event)(102 days)
- 3-Day in Melbourne: Skill Building and Case Conceptualization with Kelly Wilson(Event)(106 days)
- La nouvelle génération de thérapie cognitive et comportementale : la théorie et la pratique, par Frédérick Dionne, Ph.D. (Event)(141 days)
- ACT introductiecursus Utrecht - Netherlands(Event)(143 days)
- Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment - Steve Hayes - Greater Hartford, CT(Event)(150 days)
- Kelly Wilson: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy - Combined Introduction and Skill Building Addictions Workshop(Event)(168 days)
- Pre-Conference Experiential Workshops (Enschede, The Netherlands)(Event)(174 days)
- ACBS World Conference III - Enschede, The Netherlands(Event)(175 days)
- Using ACT to Help your Clients Get Out of Their Minds and into Their Life - Steve Hayes - Eastham, Massachusetts(Event)(216 days)
Is it like 'sick building syndrome'?
Susan,
This may be relevant. A recent study showed that symptoms many patients thought were caused by environmental factors, were actually their personal response to occupational stress. If that's the case we already have a protocol developed for dealing with that.
I don't know if "idiopathic environmental illness" is the same as 'sick building syndrome' (my hunch would be not - nothing I've heard about the latter suggests idiopathic responding), but you may be able to at least create in the client some motivation towards working on this as an anxiety issue. Perhaps suggesting that you can't change her physiological responses to unknown/unspecified chemical pathogens, but you can work with her on responding differently to her psychological responses (e.g. evaluations, attributions) to those physiological responses.
Like you said, proceed slowly. It's important this client isn't treated as though 'my problems are just in my mind'.
Good luck,
Julian
MCS
Julian, Thanks for your response to my post. The term "idiopathic environmental illness" has been used in the medical community since a clear cause hasn't been established. There are many terms being used to refer to similar syndromes icluding sick building syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, idiopathic environmental illness, 20th century disease, etc. I like the approach you describe because it focuses on her evaluative responses without invalidating her physiological experience. In our most recent session the client invested considerable energy in the "why" question, exploring memories of her response to her mother's illness. I worked with her on cultivating mindfulness in the moment and this seemed a beginning. Being trained in Internal Family Systems, I know to be mindful myself of her real pain and the many ways she has found to manage it.
Thanks,
Susan