Anyone been for CBT?

[poppy77]

What happens in a session and did you think it helped?

Is it better than anxiety medication (does anxiety medication work?)?

If you are in the UK, how long did you have to wait for a referral on NHS?

Thanks.

I am so fed up of my stupid health anxiety issues and want to sort them out.

[Traceypo]

Hi hun,
I'm currently onto my third round of CBT, don't take that as a negative, as in between rounds I've had much less anxious times.
In North East England, we have a self referral system, waiting list about 10 weeks, Google talking therapies and your area and more details should come up, alternatively contact your gp surgery, the receptionist should know whether you need a gp appointment for a referral.
The therapist will usually ask you some general questions about yourself, nothing to probing, they'll want to know your thought patterns, beliefs and negative behaviours.
You'll usually set up an agenda for session and look at the cycle of anxiety.
You'll be given homework to challenge your thoughts and beliefs, this is so important, please complete it.
Some examples of my CBT has been to stay off Google, stay away from medical resources (unless it is absolutely necessary to attend), use an ailment log, this is my favourite as I can look back at all my worries that magically disappeared and turned out to be nothing. This is your evidence for yourself so you can say I've felt like this before, and I was fine.
I'm currently working on general worry with my therapist, not just health anxiety as it is apparent that I catastrophise everything in my mind, possibly due to a long term career in safeguarding and risk assessment management.
Give it a go hun, you've nothing to lose, some people find medication and therapy together to be beneficial, I'm only doing therapy.
Also, we trying mindfulness, to help me live in the here and now instead of always worrying about the future.
Xxx