CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

[BilboBaggins16]

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is the first line of defence in Psychology. It takes in the fact that one should be aware of their physiology and understand how that affects their symptoms. It is a very useful therapy but doesn't work for me as I am Bi-polar and hence often in either Mania or Depressive cycle and those are severe enough that I'm unable to look objectively at these aspects due to the cycle.

But I would suggest that you do study or read and understand this technique.

[Hidden]

Agreed. My own psychiatrist recommended this for me (depression/anxiety/panic) and said it has just as much impact as medication....and obviously cannot be addictive or have tolerance issues like medicine. Thoughtful post, I've been promoting CBT for a lot of people on here as it really can be extremely useful.

[BilboBaggins16 in reply to Hidden]

What is your diagnosis may I ask?

[Hidden in reply to BilboBaggins16]

Anxiety, panic attacks, and depression was added as of late. I've had the first two for almost twenty years. The depression was always just tagged on with the others. I've used a lot of thinking and activities from CBT, but it truly is a discipline of its own that I keep practicing over and over.

[BilboBaggins16 in reply to Hidden]

Anxiety is treated with Benzo's. Panic attacks that are experienced with depressive symptoms are often treated with an SSRI anti-depressants. I would strongly suggest that you did not pursue SSRI's unless you are experiencing positive results, which some do gain. But the list of side effects from them are very acute and can be life threatening. I was on Citalopram and Esocitlopram and found that the side effects that I got where too dangerous to continue with so with my psychiatrist we came up with a better medication regime.

[Hidden in reply to BilboBaggins16]

Agreed and that's where I'm at currently. The only things I've obtained from SSRI/SNRIs have been weight gain and ED which seemed to show me...they work, but this is what I'm getting from them. My own psychiatrist seems to really want to treat me for possible sleep apnea (waiting on a sleep study) as he believes some anxiety/panic is sourced from there and for me to get CBT done professionally so we can avoid pills altogether. Nothing really has helped or worked other than benzos, but my work determined they were not safe given the safety sensitive portion of my job...so it's like being stuck between a rock and hard place. I've been using mindfulness, meditation, and acupuncture and have found some solid results just using those.

[BilboBaggins16 in reply to Hidden]

SSRI's and SNRI's are both controversial treatments. SNRI's such as Effexor (Venafelxine) can, NOT ALWAYS, be highly addictive. My partner was in a substance misuse drying out ward and there was another patient who was tapering his Effexor dosage. They come in capsules and are in small beads of the compound and the person had to have a number of beads counted and collected each day to taper the dosage. This seems extreme to me but the withdrawals can be bad on both. SSRI's are the first medication they will through at you. Take it with caution, watch out for side effects i.e. I experienced brain shakes and found that extremely dangerous when driving. They can be useful but I'd ask about NASSA's (Miratzepine) as an option. They are good with mood disorders, which I imagine you experience as I did so ask about the action and whether that could be used on yourself. I went with old school Amitryptylene Tri-cyclic anti-depressants and have found that useful for both moods and for pain, I've a bent spine so I get terrible back pains on a daily basis. But they don't send me manic and keep me level headed.

Don't always take what's offered first. Often what works is not prescribed initially so perhaps do your homework and research on the types of drugs and the symptoms that they are good for.

Medications are what I am practiced in and have studied them theoretically but also have often taken them so have valuable empirical data.

[Hidden in reply to BilboBaggins16]

Thanks for the recommendations. Oddly enough, Effexor was the latest and greatest I've tried. I had it a year ago and I really didn't feel much different, but was better then than now, so I asked to try that again rather than something else I've already tried with no help. I read about the bead thing and having to take a few out each time to dose down. Thankfully, I haven't been taking it because it really just screws up my sleep patterns.

It's weird, but I'm doing better without them than on them. I'll see about that other class you mentioned. I looked at the tricyclics and they seem to be hit or miss fo me, but I'm willing to try if there's a chance. I really think the SSRI/SNRI drugs to be pure garbage. I think I read only 33% of people actually get relief from them? Psychiatrist appointment coming up, so I'll mention those and see if maybe they can pull something from their magic bag of tricks that aren't "front line" anymore. It's sad that some of the best medications are the oldest and today's doctors keep reaching towards the newer junk. Really good to have contact with some pharmaceutical expertise.

[BilboBaggins16 in reply to Hidden]

Yes the best anti-depressant I can vouch for as it saved my life. The only major drawback is that NASSA (No-adrenaline and Selective Serotonin Antagonists) called Miratzepine can cause weight gain. That medication has helped a lot of people that I know, having recommended it to them. If you take 15mg initially at this dose it's at it's most sedating dose. It can be prescribed also in 30mg or up to 45mg. But these higher doses are more stimulating as they work on Adrenaline. I would advise that they prescribe Oro-dispersible (Zispin) tablets as they are absorbed quickly and then hence can start to work as soon as you've taken it.

Have you tried Amitryptylene (TCD)? it's probably the oldest tricyclic anti-depressant and hence has the longest history and the best efficacy. Side effects are sedation, if required.

[Hidden]

Hi

It doesn't work for me either. Just sad

[BilboBaggins16 in reply to Hidden]

If you feel Sadness then you can also experience Happiness. The trouble is that sadness hangs around a lot longer than the opposite. If you feel sad more often than not I'd question what you where being prescribed for the symptoms. I'm bi-polar so I can experience from a Major depressive cycle up to full blown psychotic mania in 30mins. So you experience from lowest feeling up to a happy manic bunny so you really see the difference between lows and highs.

I would suggest that if CBT doesn't work try Mindfulness or Movement therapies. They worked for me CBT just doesn't cut it for Bipolar sufferers.