When, in response to an activating phies that help them to achieve

event, people think, at point B, their goals. These rational beliefs

Emotional Disturbance “This is good! I like this activat-
ing event,” they tend to experience
will mainly create healthy emotion-
al consequences, such as appropri-
and Its Treatment the emotional consequence of
pleasure or happiness and the
ate feelings of disappointment, sor-
row, regret and frustration. Rational

in a Nutshell behavioral consequence of ap-

proaching (or trying to repeat) this
beliefs will also tend to encourage
healthy behavior such as trying to
activating event. When these same change, improve, or avoid activat-
people experience activating ing events that sabotage their goals.
Albert Ellis, Ph.D. events that they perceive as block-
ing or sabotaging their goals, they This ABC model of emotional/
normally react in an unpleasur- behavioral disturbance is fairly
able, avoiding manner. Thus, they straightforward and, as noted
hen I presented my first quences (C’s) largely because they
W paper on rational emotive
behavior therapy (REBT) and cog-
are intermingled with or acted upon
by people’s beliefs (B’s) about
preferentially think, at point B,
“This is bad! I dislike this activat-
above, is followed by most REBT
and cognitive behavior therapy
ing event,” and they experience practitioners and theorists. It
nitive behavior therapy (CBT) at these activating events (A’s). the emotional consequences of hypothesizes that the irrational
the American Psychological Asso- frustration or unhappiness and the beliefs or dysfunctional attitudes
ciation convention in 1956, I fully BASIC HUMAN GOALS behavioral consequence of avoid- that constitute people’s self-dis-
realized how complex cognitions, AND VALUES ing or trying to eliminate this acti- turbing philosophies have two
emotions, and behaviors are and vating event. main qualities:
how they inevitably include and People generally have a set of
interact with each other. goals, values, or desires. Humans, (1) They have at their core ex-
biologically and by social learn- THE ABC’S OF EMOTIONAL
DISTURBANCE plicit or implicit rigid, pow-
REBT has always had a complex, ing, are goal-seeking animals and erful demands and com-
interactional, and holistic view of their fundamental goals normally The ABC model of REBT be- mands, usually expressed as
the ABC’s of human personality are to survive, to be relatively free comes more complex and contro- musts, shoulds, ought to’s,
and disturbance. Simply stated, from pain, and to be reasonably versial when applied to neurotic have to’s, and got to’s such as,
the ABC theory of REBT follows satisfied or content. As subgoals of disturbance. For it hypothesizes “I absolutely must have my
the views of several ancient philo- these primary goals, they want to that when people’s goals are important goals fulfilled!”
sophers — especially Epictetus and be happy (1) when by themselves; blocked by activating events they
Marcus Aurelius —and of Robert (2) with other groups of humans; have a conscious or unconscious (2) They also have derivatives of
Woodworth’s stimulus-organism- (3) intimately, with a few selected choice of responding with dis- these demands. For example,
response theory. It holds that acti- others; (4) informationally and edu- turbed or undisturbed negative “If I don’t have my important
vating events (A’s) in people lives cationally; (5) vocationally and consequences. If their belief sys- goals fulfilled, as I must,” (a)
contribute to their emotional and economically; and (6) recreation- tem is rational or self-helping, it “it’s awful” (that is, one hun-
behavioral disturbances or conse- ally. will include attitudes or philoso- dred percent bad); (b) “I can’t
 bear it” (that is, survive or be the evidence that you have to treat
happy at all!); (c) “I’m a me considerately, however much
REFERENCES
worthless person” (that is, com- I’d like you to do so?” Disputing
pletely bad and undeserving!); is also done emotively. For ex- Bernard, M.E., and Wolfe, J.L. The REBT Resource Book for
and (d) “I’ll always fail to get ample, using rational emotive Practitioners. New York: Albert Ellis Institute, 2000.
what I want now and in the imagery, people imagine one of Ellis, A. Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy, Revised. Secaucus,
future!” the worst failures to achieve their NJ: Citadel Press, 1994.
goals, letting themselves feel very Ellis, A. Anger — How to Live with and without It. New York:
This ABC model of human dis- depressed. They are then to fully Citadel Press, 1977.
turbance is followed, in REBT, work to change their inappro-
by D — the disputing of people’s priate feeling of depression to the Ellis, A. How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About
irrational beliefs (iB’s) — when healthy ones of keen disappoint- Anything —Yes, Anything! New York: Citadel Press, 1998.
they feel and act in a self-defeat- ment or regret. Disputing is also Ellis, A. Feeling Better, Getting Better, Staying Better. Atascadero,
ing way, until they arrive at E, a done behaviorally. For example, CA: Impact, 2001.
new set of more rational beliefs. people who avoid socializing can Ellis, A. Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings and Behaviors.
For example, “I’d prefer to suc- force themselves to socialize Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2001.
ceed and be lovable, but I don’t while simultaneously convincing
have to do so!” “I’d very much themselves that it is not awful, but Ellis, A., and Dryden, W. The Practice of Rational-Emotive Therapy.
like others to treat me fairly and only inconvenient, to get rejected. New York: Springer, 1997.
considerately, but there is no rea- Ellis, A., and Harper, R.A. A Guide to Rational Living. North
son why they must do so.” “I The more specific clinical appli- Hollywood, CA: Wilshire Books, 1997.
greatly desire my life conditions cation of the ABCs of REBT has Walen, S., DiGiuseppe, R. and Dryden, W. Practitioner’s Guide to
to be comfortable and pleasant, been successful in thousands of Rational-Emotive Therapy. New York: Oxford, 1992.
but I don’t need them to be that reported cases and in scores of
way.” therapy outcome studies. Most of
these studies have used REBT
Disputing of irrational beliefs is cognitive disputing, but have
first done cognitively, by using failed to add its emotive and be- Additional copies of this handout are available at:
scientific questioning and chal- havioral disputing methods. So I 10 copies for $5.00 • 50 copies for $20.00 • 100 copies for $35.00
lenging to uproot people’s musts predict that when REBT is prop- from the
and demands. For example, “Why erly tested it will do even better
must I perform well, even though against control groups than has up ALBERT ELLIS INSTITUTE
it’s desirable that I do?” “Where is to now been shown. 45 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065
Phone: (212) 535-0822 X Fax: (212) 249-3582
e-mail: [email protected] X www.albertellis.org
Albert Ellis, Ph.D., the originator of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy,
was the founder of the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. Call for a FREE catalogue of REBT CDs, tapes and publications.

2
 Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy’s
A-B-C Theory of Emotional Disturbance
“People are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.”
— Epictetus, 1st century A.D.
It is not only the event, but also our attitudes and beliefs about it, that cause our emotional reaction.

A B C D
Activating Experience Irrational Beliefs Upsetting Emotional Disputing of
Womanfriend breaks the news About the Experience Consequences Irrational Ideas
that she is going out with another
”I really must be a worthless “Where’s the evidence that be-
man, and therefore wishes to DEPRESSION
person.” cause this woman wishes to end
break off her relationship with you.
“I’ll never find another great and/or our relationship, that I am a worth-
woman like her.” less person; or that I’ll never be
“She doesn’t want me; therefore able to have a really good relation-
no one could possibly want me.” ship with someone else; or even
that I couldn’t be happy alone?
and/or _______
”This is awful!” “Everything hap- “Why is it awful that I’m not
pens to me!” getting what I want?”
“That bitch! She shouldn’t be “Why shouldn’t the world be full
that way.” of hassles?”
“I can’t stand the world being so HOSTILITY
“How does her rejecting me
unfair and lousy.”
make me a bad person (or
her a bad person)?”

E
New Emotional
Consequence or Effect
SADNESS: “Well, we did have a nice relationship,
and I’m sorry to see it end— but it did have its prob-
lems, and now I can go out and find a new friend.”
or
ANNOYANCE: “It’s annoying that she is seeing
someone; but it isn’t awful or intolerable.”