Priya is a 28-year-old woman who experiences intrusive thoughts about accidentally shouting inappropriate words during meetings. In response, she engages in repetitive throat-clearing and silently repeating reassuring phrases to prevent herself from losing control.
Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies the "white bear effect" in relation to Priya’s obsessions?
Select all that apply.
Question 36 options:
By practicing mindfulness techniques and accepting her intrusive thoughts, Priya allows the thoughts to come and go without reacting, eventually noticing a decrease in the intensity of both her obsessions and her compulsive behaviors.
Through Priya's attempts to suppress thoughts and avoid triggers for her compulsions, they become less frequent over time and she is able to engage in more pleasant activities.
Priya initially finds comfort in her throat-clearing and silent phrases, but over time, these behaviors reinforce her fear of losing control, increasing the frequency of her obsessions and compulsions.
Priya finds that the more she tries to suppress thoughts about blurting out inappropriate words, the more often the thoughts occur, leading to increased throat-clearing and reassurance-seeking.