▁whenever ▁the ▁vis its ▁were ▁especially ▁incon ven ient . ▁Natur ally ▁the ▁in - la ws ▁would ▁always ▁sympath et ically ▁help ▁her ▁clean ▁up ▁the ▁vom it . ▁Fair ly ▁soon , ▁the ▁anno ying ▁relatives ▁started ▁calling ▁in ▁advance ▁before ▁turning ▁up , ▁to ▁see ▁if ▁she ▁were ▁" well ▁enough " ▁to ▁see ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁subject ▁of ▁do z ens ▁of ▁songs , ▁" emph as izing ▁the ▁positive " ▁is ▁a ▁well ▁known ▁self - help ▁strategy , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁compared ▁with ▁" pos itive ▁reform ulation " ▁in ▁Gest alt ▁Ther apy . ▁▁ ▁Pres cri bing ▁the ▁Sym pt om ▁and ▁Am pl ifying ▁a ▁De viation ▁- ▁Very ▁typically , ▁Er ick son ▁would ▁instruct ▁his ▁patients ▁to ▁act ively ▁and ▁cons ci ously ▁perform ▁the ▁sympt om ▁that ▁was ▁bother ing ▁them ▁( see ▁the ▁n ail bit ing ▁example ▁under ▁# Res istance ), ▁usually ▁with ▁some ▁minor ▁or ▁trivial ▁deviation ▁from ▁the ▁original ▁sympt om . ▁In ▁many ▁cases , ▁the ▁deviation ▁could ▁be ▁ampl ified ▁and ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁" wedge " ▁to ▁transform ▁the ▁whole ▁behaviour . ▁IN TER V IE W ER : ▁Suppose ▁someone ▁called ▁you ▁and ▁said ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁kid , ▁nin ete en ▁or ▁twenty ▁years ▁old , ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁very ▁good ▁boy , ▁but ▁all ▁of ▁a ▁sudden ▁this ▁week ▁he ▁started ▁walking ▁around ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁carrying ▁a ▁large ▁cross . ▁The ▁neighb ors ▁are ▁ups et ▁and ▁the