How does your CBT work?

[beth0277]

I'm just wondering what other's experiences with CBT are. I am currently going about once a week to see my therapist and I fully trust him. I see a lot of posts about different exercises (like TEA forms) and things like that, and my therapist hasn't recommended those. He does have me do an exercise everyday, which is used to "separate" myself from my thoughts, which is to relax and "watch" my thoughts. So, it could be either in a parade or a cloud in the sky, but watch the clouds and envision your thoughts on them. This is a way to realize that YOU are not your thoughts.

Just curious what other sorts of "exercises" others do in CBT. I haven't had a lot of "homework" it's more been like..."I want you to be intimate with your husband this week, can you do that?" because he knows that I have a fear of urinary tract infections and have avoided intimacy because of that. My anxiety is strictly health related, so I don't know if my approach is slightly different.

[Stormsky]

Everyones is personally structured for their particular problem... I had CBT years ago for OCD.. to be honest didnt do much for me... i think at the actual time of doing it, i felt good and positive, but it didnt have long lasting effect once finished...

[NoPoet]

Hi, I have now had 5 sessions of CBT. My therapist is highly qualified and extremely perceptive. She researches things for me inbetween sessions and agreed with my decision to change from citalopram to mirtazapine, since our sessions indicate I have personality traits that could be worsened by SSRI medication. I am a huge fan of the mirt, I was expecting to need a session just to deal with its side effects but it has immediately improved my sleep, erased feelings of depression caused by the cit, and it's boosted my appetite.

We haven't done any actual therapy yet, it's been discussion and theory backed up by research and homework. I've got a bundle of paperwork which I call the Recovery Book. This is handouts and medical text printouts she's given me, plus my homework and notes about things to discuss in sessions, plus breakthroughs, important info that came up in sessions etc.

The reason we haven't started theory is because traditional exposure therapy does not work for me. I am too resistant to hearing the recorded voice (even though it's my own) telling me negative things. My voice actually lulls me and makes me feel more relaxed.

My therapist has other forms of exposure therapy which we haven't tried yet, as our sessions generally involve so many breakthroughs we simply cannot get started on therapy. Sessions always overrun from the basic 60 minutes to 90-120 minutes so I essentially get two sessions for the price of one. This extra time has been invaluable and has probably shaved months off my recovery. The therapist is totally confident we can arrive on a form of therapy that helps me but we are still busy clearing away all the "clutter" and getting to the dark heart of my anxiety.

In the meantime I have recorded a couple of positive mp3s reassuring myself about certain fears. I still have bad days but I'm having lots of good days too and I am slowly learning to reassure myself.