Thoughts and experiences of CBT for HA

[googler192]

Hello All,

I begin CBT on Wednesday for my CBT as recommended by my GP after i refused meds for my anxiety and HIV phobia. I was in therapy for around 6 months last year but it was person centered which only helped the anxiety short-term. She said that the CBT will help but - as a psychology graduate - i find it difficult to detatch myself from the theory, practice and research i have done from the professional and educational point of view.

Just looking for others experience of CBT and how they found it.

Happy thoughts xx

[cpe1978]

I found CBT good, but only in so much as it helped me to understand the cysle i was in, where I was focusing my efforts and where i could focus them more effectively to actually make things better.

CBT in itself didnt cure me of anything, but taking the learning certainly helped.

[UKmamainUS]

I think I had the same problem as you - I came at it as a scholar in a psychology based field and spent the entire time thinking that I was just trying to convince myself of things I just wasn't able to believe. I plan on trying again though, as it may have just been an incompatibility with the therapist I was using.

[Fishmanpa]

I used the course offered here for some GAD and depression. I study and read quite a bit about psychology and I understand how the mindset can stand in the way. That being said, CBT struck a nerve as far as just plain logic. It makes sense to me. Challenge the mindset/Change the mindset/Change the result. It helped tremendously in the aspects I mentioned as well as everyday life challenges. I guess I was just open to wanting it to work and it did/does.

Positive thoughts

[Jonesle]

It works if you want it to work and actually practise what they suggest, which I'm currently failing at after a few weeks of getting better.
It's kinda like learning to play an instrument or learning a language, they will tell you how to do it but you have to actually go away and practise it. If you wanted to learn to play guitar you would go to a lesson, learn how it works and how to play notes, but if you go home and sit there staring at the guitar wishing you could play it ain't gonna happen.
It's really hard but I think it's really beneficial. Good luck! Xxx

[stressedGuy]

Even therapists have therapists, don't they?

I agree that CBT can work by providing you with tools to challenge your thoughts when you start to slide towards negative thinking. I had CBT once a week for several months. I found it hugely beneficial to just talk to someone at length about what I was feeling and going through. It was surprising to me when all the pent up anxiety and frustration and guilt and despair came tumbling out of me during the first couple of sessions; it was so cathartic for all the words that I'd only ever heard inside my own head coming out of my mouth and into someone else's ears. GP's only have a few minutes; I can almost hear a second hand ticking as soon as I step inside the door. My wife became exasperated with the whole HA conversations quite quickly. Plus, it was kind of ruining her life too so she couldn't be very objective about it.

There was quite a lot of exposure therapy involved when the therapist and I thought I was up to it. Some of it was quite challenging and made me quite anxious. But the anxiety lessened the longer the exposure.

The therapy enabled me to be HA free for over a year and a half. But I think I might need a refresher course because of late it's come back. However, I recommend it to any HA sufferer that can access it.

I suppose CBT might not be for everyone but even if you know the theory and science behind the therapy, it can still help to hear ideas expressed from a detached observer.