CBT session 1

[Aahbut]

I started a course of CBT today on the NHS. To be honest my initial thoughts were that it sounded rather new age, but I'm not getting better so I am going to go for it. My therapist is really nice, and very quiet. It seems odd that she is a therapist as she almost seems shy.

Basically she puts questions to you, generally hypothetical and helps to arrive at your own answer. This was easy, took no effort at all and I have to be honest I didn't see the point. Then about thirty minutes in things began to fall in to place. Suddenly I knew what was causing my anxiety, though there was no way it was going to stop it, but I can see how CBT works now.

The therapist said that it was going so well because I was being so honest. I had made my mind up this was going to have to be the route when I initially had to see a psychiatrist. I'm sure that we all have a skeleton hiding someplace, and I thought that maybe the problem was hiding behind it if you get what I mean.

I have five more sessions of CBT and then more sessions of something I forget the name of.

 

[Fedup]

sounds promising

 

[Mistaken Identity]

I don't have much to say except that both my mother and me have had CBT and though it didn't really suit me it helped her so much she was discharged, it really really applied to her somehow, and i hope it proves to be the same for you. DBT is also a good one if it's offered, it really helps you cope with life.
katy
xxx

 

[dunglen]

I have five more sessions of CBT and then more sessions of something I forget the name of.

it seems that everyone keeps being offered 6 sessions of therapy is that the magic number to a 'cure'

hopefully you will feel better after both lots of therapy

 

[sandybob]

hey .. so far so good

 

[Dollit]

I'm glad you feel that CBT can work for you. The first time I did it I was good with it the second time I was extremely ill and just couldn't concentrate for longer than a few minutes at a time.

As to numbers of sessions (Dunglen) it does seem that six seems to be the number of sessions on offer but I was told that a minimum of 20 was needed because of the complexity of CBT.

 

[Aahbut]

A quick update on session one. I have forgotten what we talked about yesterday in the first session. I have no idea if this is my usual forgetfulness, usual meaning since i began taking Venlafaxine or what. I am guessing that if I cannot remember the details then the chances of this working are going to be very slim?

 

[Dollit]

The good thing about CBT is that (or at least when I did it) I was encouraged to take notes and ask questions. It's a lot to take in. I got lots of stuff photocopied for me by both the practitioners I worked with. I need the written stuff to act as a reminder.

 

[Roxy]

I've been having fortnightly CBT sessions for over a year now and have found them very beneficial. They do require a fair bit of participation which I feel is necessary in order to gain maximum impact from the therapy. Its hard work, but worthwhile.

Until I accessed this service, which I waited nearly a year for, medication was the only option and in my case it wasn't working. Although CBT should not be looked at as a miracle cure, it does help reframe the negative thought processes that increase our anxiety/depression and hopefully the therapy will help us to cope with life more positively.

Any tools that are offered to us, in order to help climb out of the 'black hole', should be grasped with both hands.

 

[Dollit]

I think it's fair to say too that CBT would be very difficult for anyone who was severely depressed as it does require a fair bit of commitment and energy. But like all things it doesn't work for everyone. Having had access to other things I probably wouldn't do CBT again but I learned a lot from it the first time round and still put some of the principles into practice about 4 or 5 years on.

 

[sandybob]

just been to the doctors .. she's referring me for the waiting list to be referred to have some (more) CBT

i spend my life waiting it seems

 

[Aahbut]

Glad to hear that, hope it does the trick for you.

 

[Aahbut]

I think you are right Dollitt, I find it really hard to concentrate, and even easier to forget things. I have my 2nd CBT this afternoon, this time I go armed with pens, a pad and a digital recorder which would be my choice to use. Let's see how it goes later on.

 

[Aahbut]

CBT 2

The session went well and there was no problem recording it. We discussed an incident while out walking when my mood suddenly crashed for no reason. I must say that I think there genuinely was no reason, but it seems that it was being made to fit the model. I would love to think that this is going to sort me out, but at times it seems like the goal posts are being moved to suit. I was shown some breathing exercises, even though I know plenty of them having done meditation some years back. And the homework this week is making a graph of any severe mood swings. If this is a bad couple of weeks she's getting it in PDF, or maybe the NHS will supply the paper

 

[Dollit]

I used to do my mood charts in a spreadsheet. My consultant still says very fondly to his students, "C does the best mood charts I have ever seen." I swear he sighs at the end of the sentence!