Hayes emerged from his harrowing experience dedicated to understanding what had happened and how he could apply it—not only to help himself but also to help others. This set in motion a four-decade scientific exploration. Through hundreds of experiments, Hayes learned that the more someone tries to avoid unpleasant circumstances, thoughts, feelings, and urges—exactly what Hayes had been doing before his insight on that fateful night— the stronger and more frequent they become. “If you cannot open up to discomfort without suppression,” he says, “it becomes impossible to face difficult problems
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