What are escape behaviors you ask? Well, I am an assistant therapist at an NGO where they conduct therapy classes for children with Autism. And recently I have learned that all kids, [Not only Autistic kids.] they have behaviors that they use to escape something they do not want to do. Like for example. I give my student a pencil and instruct him to write. What does he do? He throws the pencil. He's thinking that if he throws the pencil I will send him to pick it up. And since he doesn't want to sit near the table, that is his escape.
I got thinking and came to the conclusion that not only kids but adults also have these escape behaviors. Like for example someone who is going through a phase of depression, sometimes they over sleep. Knowing that the time they are asleep will give them time to ignore the problems that they are trying to escape. Similarly, someone who has more severe depression, they might try suicide. In a way, this is also an escape behavior. The only difference is that, this is a permanent 'escape'. Other people, with problems that seems to be drowning them, they try drugs/alcohol etc. This, in my opinion is also an escape behavior. The person just craves that high to escape their problems that seem to be weighing them down. Whether it be with sleeping tablets or heavy drugs, its all basically forms of escapes.
So what is it that we do to control these escape behaviors. Well, in our class what we do is, even if the said child throws his pencil, we don't allow him to go fetch the pencil. We let him know that no matter how many times he throws the pencil, he wouldn't be allowed to leave the table. And by doing this he learns that unless he does what he has to do, there IS no escape. Slowly we control his behavior, by praising him when he follows our instructions and then rewarding him with something he likes, like a toy or letting him leave the table for a few minutes.
In my opinion this is something we all need to learn. We have to learn that unless we do what we have to do, and unless we man up and face our problems, there IS no escape. We need to realize that even if we get to avoid our problems for a while when we sleep or when we're high, its eventually just gonna catch up to you. So unless you grow a pair and face it, there IS no escape.
Man up and grow a pair! :P
Agreed. Wimping out is just going to leave your problem lingering near you without getting rid of it. One must eventually look it in the eye and tell it to scram! :D
ReplyDeleteYou've got a really cool job by the way! I've always wanted to work with kids.
This is what all of us need to realize. Running away from your problems doesn't solve it. hehe
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks! And yes, I love what I do too! :D