cognitive behaviour therapy

[jsp83]

im signing up to this...im kinda unsure of mental only treatment, as trying to be more positive hasn't helped me that much. anyone had any experience?

[Hidden]

I go to CBT, have done for the last 3-4 months...I'm so glad I decided to do. It has helped me tremendously. I pay for it myself as the NHS had a year long waiting line and they only offer 6 sessions. 6 is no where near enough, I've had maybe 10-12 and that's me only going to every 2 weeks now, you have acquired these brain traits over a long period of time and it's trying to train your brain to think a different way, it takes time and the therapist won't cure/help you on their own, you have to want to help yourself otherwise it's pointless.

I hope it works for you.

Xx

[Jetstar]

Found it great Really helped and Ashley I totally agree that you have to go in there to help yourself and have the commitment

[jsp83]

i definitely need a change, im really glad to know its helped. would you both say its made a big difference?

[Hidden in reply to jsp83]

That's hard to say...my biggest problem is the chest pain and heart palpitations I get. I've learned to realise that the chest pain is nothing more than muscle tension so I don't worry about it too much but the heart palps are still a big worry so I'm working on that. My thinking patterns have changed for sure so it's worth it for that alone.

Xx

[Jetstar]

Yes same with me. Thinking patterns have changed as well.

[jsp83]

do you still get anxious?

[Hidden in reply to jsp83]

Yeah all the time but the anxious feeling doesn't bother me that much. As I know it's just anxiety, it's the heart palps that scare me.

I've had a tough life that I don't dwell on to much and the feelings of being anxious are sort of second nature to me now. It was only when it became full blown panic it has been a problem for me.

Xx

[Jetstar]

Hi Jsp Everyone gets anxious sometimes whether it be going to a job interview or maybe meeting new people. That butterfly in the stomach feeling is a common symptom of Anxiety. It's when we let the anxiety affect us or our day to day living . The CBT will help you deal with the negative thought patterns we can all get in too which leads to a vicious cycle of worrying. I still get anxious in certain situations but its about fighting that fear. The CBT will give you the tools to do this. It won't be a easy process as in the CBT you will need to challenge your current way of thinking but stick with it and it will give you the tools to help manage the anxiety and be more in control.

[LadySaabra]

I have had CBT before about 10 years ago and I wasn't impressed at the time - I remember being told to get on a bus after having dinner because what was the worst that could happen? ER I could be sick in front of people, i.e fate worse than death...that kind of thinking - what's the worst that could happen has proved useful since then, but then I suddenly lost all confidence in my own thoughts thanks to stress/burn out from February onwards which let bad habits/cycles take over in less than a week...after much wrangling with the doctors with self-referral and assessment they have decided to put me in to CBT - still got wait another month for that, in the midst of all that I tried a couple of hypnotherapy sessions which helped me see me ... Hopefully if I go to CBT this time with my 10 year exp and knowing exactly what I want - to be the me I saw in hypno - then these cycles can be smashed

x sam

[Hidden]

I had CBT a few years ago and I found it quite good. It teaches you to isolate the emotions when you are anxious. I have major problems with being 'told off' by anyone specially at work. So we worked on the parent/child scenario. I think it is worth trying for you. Good luck with it.

bev x

[Jeffju]

I have had CBT and it certainly helped me from being a total mess into someone who can live reasonably well now. I won't say I am totally without anxiety but it doesn't rule my life like it used to. You do have to be willling to try hard yourself as the therapist helps you to see things differently but only you can put that in place. Took me a while and, at some points I thought I would never get there, but I did. Hope that it helps you. Good luck.

[formidible]

I've just started some CBT but only had one session so far. I'm keeping an open mind so will see how things go. There is always other therapy such as counselling or psychotherapy so don't worry if it doesn't help you as much as others have reported. Hopefully it will though.

[jsp83]

thanks guys

[elaineanne1]

My husband is supposed to go for this but he is a very negative person and he thinks it will not help.

[Lions13]

Hi there,

I am a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, so I'm probably a bit biased. CBT when delivered properly can be very useful.

I was lucky enough to be asked to deliver a presentation to an Anxiety/Depression Support Group in my home town. I told people about the principles of CBT and worked through a few exercises on the board, which were all very well received and afterwards I was approached by several members of the group and asked "What kind of CBT it was?" I struggled to answer with anything other than...CBT. That's what it is.

Each of these people had experienced CBT delivered by the NHS (all within the same Health Authority area and some with the same person) and did not recognise what I was talking about. They hadn't had a great deal of time spent exploring their thoughts and feelings and considering new and alternative ways of thinking and behaving.

Unfortunately due to time and money constraints CBT delivered by the NHS may not always be facilitated by a qualified therapist, but may instead be delivered by a Mental Health Nurse that has completed training in the 5 Areas Approach by Chris Williams. As mentioned previously this may consist of as few as 6 sessions, and in some instances these sessions are very basic and involve teaching an individual how to complete a worksheet and sending them off into the real world with homework in hand. The next session may involve reviewing the completed worksheet...telling you how well you have done and then explaining how to complete a new worksheet. It's not to say the worksheets are not helpful, but there is more to CBT than filling out worksheets.

I wish you every success and if you can go into it with an open mind (as Formidible said above) there is no reason why it won't be helpful.

Good luck

John

[Hidden]

Had my 2nd session of CBT today and feel very positive. I have to do a lot of work with the counsellor, but if it works it is worth it. I should give it a try. You have nothing to lose. My counsellor is an ex GP so she can look at the illness from 2 points of view