The word dialectics comes from the Greek word dialegome, which means to hold a debate. The ancient philosophers, by dialectics meant the art of arriving at the truth through the conflict of opposing views without this being a compromise. Heraclitus, who rightfully earned the title of the founder of dialectics, first proclaimed the "ceaseless flow" in the context of a continuous becoming with his famous saying, "Everything flows", everything moves, everything changes, a slogan that demonstrates his dialectical way of thinking. In his midwifery dialectical method, also known as elenchus Socrates used a series of questions to arrive at a certain truth to elicit and decipher the meaning of each discussion and reasoning. Plato, along with Socrates, used dialectical persuasion to resolve differing opinions. Plato considers this method the highest form of thought. One examines assumptions and basic concepts in discussion and confrontation and arrives at better beliefs and ideas. Plato sharply distinguishes Socrates' dialectical manner of argumentation from the rhetorical use of arguments. Nevertheless, this contrast's outcome seems clear: the analytic usage of ideas is epistemically valuable, while the rhetorical use is epistemically deficient. Rational disputing is the way to investigate objective truth.
Aristotle later set aside this method and formulated the firm principles of a sound rational approach. Thus, he established the principle of identity, which says that reasoning is valid whenever in its conclusion, it contains precisely the elements of propositions under discussion. That is, I think correctly when my thought remains consistent with itself. Aristotle believed that a genuinely virtuous person enjoys performing moral actions. This concept is opposed by Kant's reasoning, which advocates that virtue requires conflict with our selfish impulses and the payment of mental costs since it is strictly aligned with the motive of duty and not with the motive of personal pleasure. What is an action deriving from a duty? First, it means an activity that respects the moral law. To check whether I am acting concerning the moral law, I look for the principle or rule I am following. This is where Kant's famous categorical imperative arises, which points out that there is a categorical imperative: the moral imperative. The categorical imperative is the need to conform to the sheer universality of the law.
The history of thought is like a river. It contains all the ideas of previous generations that have contributed to the human spirit and determine our thinking and the conceptions of life our generation has adopted. That is why we cannot claim that a specific idea is eternally correct but only in the present. Thus, ideas and thoughts can only be judged by apparent historical reality. A new idea comes to rest on previously expressed ideas and thoughts. And as soon as this new thought appears, the first disagreements will be heard. In this way, there are always two opposite poles that create a tension that is only resolved by a third thought, which comes from the two opposite ends while the better one continues the march forward. This process was called by Hegel "dialectical evolution ". Hegel is considered the father of dialectical reasoning, who institutionally introduced position-opposition-synthesis.
Dialectical thinking is the ability to view issues from multiple perspectives and to arrive at the most economical, safe, and reasonable reconciliation of seemingly contradictory information and behaviors. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), utilizes dialectical thinking to help and train patients with new skills and strategies. The goal is for patients' lives to gain meaning and value. Initially, the DΒT was applied to women with borderline personality disorder, particularly those who exhibited self-destructive behaviors. Marsha Linehan created DBT by mixing CBT on dialectical orientation and Zen Buddhism to reduce the distress associated with intense emotional pain. Physical and emotional pain are interrelated. Therefore, the same DBT strategies and techniques are applied to chronic pain.
In fibromyalgia, there are many tips from DBT that patients can follow to find a way out when they feel stuck. Some of them are listed below:
The Buddhist practice of mindfulness which tackles overwhelming symptoms:
Opposite to emotion action= contrary action to your present emotion and thoughts.
Non-judgmental stance = means taking an objective distance from your present circumstances. It asks you to 1) observe your experience non-judgmentally without trying to change them, 2) describe your experience non- judgementally without condemnation or praise, and 3) participate in your experience non- judgementally. Notice the effect of attending to particular thoughts, feelings, sensations, or aspects of your experience or environment. Mindfulness involves taking a step back and seeing the choice in each moment.
Improve the moment = do what you can to make the moment better and not worse. Focus on decreasing levels of stress by removing yourself from the current situation. The techniques that can make the difference include imagery, finding meaning at the moment, utilizing prayer, practicing relaxation skills, taking a one-thing-at-a-time approach, taking a literal vacation from the place, and seeking encouragement or remembering motivation.
Female patients need to be trained in mindfulness to survive fibromyalgia when the pains and other symptoms are intense, which will gradually lead them to Epicurus' ataraxia. The field of learning includes 1) non-judgmental but participatory observation, 2) non-egocentric but unbiased alertness, 3) awareness of the present moment and change, and 4) non-conceptual awareness (Cognitive defusion). DBT distress tolerance refers to short-term interventions for staying safe without worsening things. The purpose is to replace ineffective reactivity with sufficient reactivity. Distress tolerance uses applied mindfulness, a gateway to emotion regulation skills.
- DBT emotion regulation skills refer to long-term lifestyle changes that promote a healthier emotional state. DBT teaches techniques to help you understand and manage your emotions. Patients develop healthier emotional habits by adding positives, building mastery, and coping ahead. Emotion regulation skills involve:
- reality checking
- acceptance of emotions
- learning opposite actions of behaviors associated with specific emotions
For example, if you feeling very sad and self-critical, your emotions may be telling you to lie down in a dark room. Opposite action would be getting out of the house.
Dichotomous reasoning, extreme thinking, negative emotions, and self-destructive behaviors should be treated as dialectical errors. The patient's big dilemmas are three: 1) how much to accept herself and how much to change, 2) how much to get what she needs from the therapist in understanding and lose what she needs (as she becomes more competent through therapy) and 3) how much to maintain personal integrity and validation of her beliefs to avoid difficulties in learning new skills. Dialectical therapy draws attention to these dilemmas and suggests practical ways to resolve them.
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