Putting “What If?” Ghosts to Rest

Abstract

This article describes an approach to the identification of and intervention in a type of discounting that is common in abusive and depressive behavior. This form of discounting occurs when the individual employs fantasies that begin with the phrase “What if?” in reaction to the circumstances surrounding an experience, the individual's own behavior, or the behavior of another person. These reality-altering fantasies appear in temporal forms: the past, the present, and the future. Clinical examples illustrate each of the subject areas, and an intervention model is presented.