Help! Shall I take medication whilst doing CBT?

[Rob]

Hi all

Does medication effect CBT? My doctor said they are two seperate things and medication will help me, but what will help me long term is the CBT. I don't want to recover from this believing it was my medication and not my change in thoughts.

I am currently receiving CBT (via the National Phobics Society, can heartily recommend), but have begun to feel very down now we have come across my core beliefs. I am only in my 5th week and my therapist says there is no limit, though it will be around 20 sessions.

I experience difficulty eating and feeling sick (and sometimes I do vomit through nerves). I have taken medication before and it was good enough to allow me to eat more but I never did CBT with it. I also going to start hypnotherapy soon too.

The medication is Fluxetine Hydrochloride (I would have Citopriam but I got bad side effects when I came off them).

Has anyone here been successful with taking medication and CBT? Was it the CBT that really worked for you?

I look forward to hearing about your experiences.

Rob

[Trev]

Hi Rob,

I'd agree with your doc. I view it this way.....

The CBT is about working on your thought processes and your beliefs and is a longer term "fix" of your core to enable you to function ok on your own in the future.

The medication could be viewed as a short term crutch to enable you to attend the CBT and deal with the things that CBT will throw up.
Once you have completed CBT and dealt with issues and thought patterns that might have been causing your problems you can then look at gradually removing the crutch of medication.

The analogy of the broken leg is often used. You break your leg and need plaster to fix it but while the plaster is doing it's job you need the crutch to keep you walking. Once the plaster is off you can slowly remove the crutch and get back to walking on your own without external aids.

Good luck with it and well done for getting on CBT......you are very lucky!!

Cheers,
Trev

[kazzie]

Hi Rob

I did cbt whilst taking meds and the cbt lasted long after the meds stopped so I think the 2 mix just fine

luv kaz

[darkangel]

Hi

I am in the same boat as yourself. I am in a setback just now and awaiting to get CBT again. In the meantime I have increased my meds and started to take a new one as well to get me through the bad patch am in at the moment.

Sometimes we do need a helping hand to get us back on track and personally I do not think that there is anything wrong with that. Doing cbt will focus on your through processes.

Combining both is a good mix and through time the cbt will become automatic and the need for meds will decrease.

Darkangel

........life is for living not just for surviving