Don’t Think About White Bears: The Dangers of Memory and Thought Suppression in Recovery
Famed author Fyodor Dostoevsky, in his 1863 essay Winter Notes on Summer Impressions, said, “Try to pose for yourself this task: not to think of a polar bear, and you will see that the cursed thing will come to mind every minute.” Dostoevsky was noting the fact that when we actively try not to think about…