Cartoon Behavioural Therapy :-)

[robinhall]

For those that haven't checked out the FREE CBT programme CBT4panic

http://cbt4panic.org

I just wanted to point out that it is very user friendly - it is not a lot of heavy psycho babble

I have illustrated every step with cartoons

It really won't take you long to read over everything and you will learn a lot about anxiety and how to deal with it.

Here's an example :-)

http://cbt4panic.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Theanxietycure.com-cbt4panic-exposure-session.gif

[MyNameIsTerry]

I really like this approach. It's hard to focus when anxiety & panic are high. It's also hard to commit to something longer term when you are desperate for help now. Some people also find heavy stuff intimidating regardless of anxiety and whilst some may prefer more of the science if does need to be pitched at a level to make it accessible to all which I think you are doing well.

Anything that breaks it down into bite sized chunks helps get you started and seems less likely to discourage someone already struggling with motivation.

They are good illustrations too. If I recall from the website you drew these yourself. They are very good.

[robinhall]

Thanks Terry :-)

Everyone on these forums knows how hard it is to concentrate when anxiety strikes

cartoons have always been an easier way to take in information. There are books and leaflets that use cartoons to break up the heavy text but I thought I would try to REPLACE a lot of the heavy text by actually illustrating the concepts with the cartoons instead

A picture paints a thousand words and all that

Yes - I drew them myself - strangely I have learned over the years that a lot of cartoonists were prone to anxiety and panic. My guess is their childhood experiences in one way or another were anxiety provoking and they gravitated towards art or drawing as a way to cope - same with some comedians.

Anyway - I hope everyone checks out the workbooks - they REALLY are very user friendly - I promise :-)

[swajj]

If you don't mind me asking - why did you stop charging for your program? It states at the bottom of your posts that it "is now completely free".

[robinhall]

The reason I charged in the first place was because I thought if I could generate income from the programme I could put that back into reaching more people.

But it always bothered me that only people who could afford it would get the help

So I just decided to make it free and let the universe work out the rest

I have NO idea at all how I am going to let people (outside this forum which has always been extremely supportive :-) know that the programme even exists

Just because a website is online doesn't mean anyone knows about it

If people here can share the site beyond NMP that would be very helpful :-)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Why not speak to the charities? They have a much wider influence than NMP.

For instance, OCD UK are well connected with the NHS. They have a history of arranging events for members that include OCD specialists and campaign against negative portrayals in the media as well as against even professional standards bodies where their members show ignorance in the media that impacts on sufferers.

Anxiety UK also have a network programme for recommended therapists. They could perhaps vet it and list it for members?

MIND and Rethink have huge networks of local charities providing NHS funded therapy. They may not list it as a therapeutic option because CCBT would need to conform to NICE guidelines (supported CCBT) but maybe they can still put it on their websites as an option outside the formal pathways?

[robinhall]

Hi Terry
Thanks - I'll definitely check into all those options - thats very helpful :-)

Now that I have most of the material uploaded I'll sit down and go over all the options

My wife is from India and there are a LOT of people there who suffer from anxiety disorders and a ridiculously small number of therapists compared to the numbers who need help - so hopefully I can get the word out there - we have some contacts in the big papers

and then of course I will probably have to look into facebook and social media - which I know NOTHING at all about :(

I'm sure it will reach more people in time

One reason I created separate pages on the site - rather than just using PDFs was so that search engines will eventually pick up the articles - I HOPE!

and now that I have been studying NMP again I think I should come up with more about Health Anxiety - it really is such a huge problem now.

[swajj]

Thanks for answering.

I've noticed that you have made many mentions of your program on here recently. Yet you don't seem to offer any advice on threads. That's not a criticism, just an observation. I haven't been around a lot lately so it's possible I've missed reading the threads where you have offered advice. I'm assuming you are a psychologist. Are you?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Could you piggyback the charities Facebook & Twitter? They obviously reach much further to interested non sufferers too.

There is a Facebook group of ex NMPers who left the HA board because they wanted something more geared to recovery and firmer on reassurance seeking. It was set up by cpe1978 (Chris) as a closed group but they would be easy to reach out to and some in that group will know of your programme and even used it.

[robinhall]

Hi
It's a fair observation - but there are good reasons

Any advice I could offer will be somewhere in my programme

and when I give advice I don't like to leave anything out so I could literally spend hours and hours giving advice - that is already in the programme - and that will be read a few times and then lost in the mountain of posts that immediately replace it

There are really fantastic articles and stickies already on NMP and my guess is that they aren't read that often because a lot of people are on the forum for different reasons

I also feel it is important that if people are willing to try CBT they do so in a structured way - it's important to go through everything from the beginning - step by step - and if I start giving random advice - I would either have to go through everything in each post or give pieces of advice that will be confusing when out of context

apart from that - this is a forum - where people share with each other - reassure each other and they don't necessarily come for 'advice' - but if they want it hopefully they will see one of my posts recommending the programme and check it out

Hope that explanation helps

I'm not a psychologist - I trained for 3 years as a Cognitive Therapist to diploma level (and worked as a CBT therapist in GP surgeries after that) - my colleague Caroline (who co authored the programme) is an accredited Psychotherapist

I have been practicing Mindfulness for 25 to 30 years and Caroline trained in Mindfulness at Oxford

I happened to have suffered from PD and HA so I have a special interest in this area and my background is in the arts so I just combined it all to create the programme

---------- Post added at 12:54 ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 ----------

Hi Terry
Thanks again

Can you explain more how to do that 'piggyback'

I really am bad when it comes to social media

I probably will have to set up a facebook page and twitter account but the thought of it makes my mind suddenly want to get tea, take the dogs out or go to Tescos - classic avoidance :-)

How would I find out how to connect with that closed group?

That would be great

[swajj]

Thanks again for answering. I have to admit each time I have seen you post I have wondered what your agenda is. I've been waiting for you to say something like "like what you've seen? Then for just a few dollars more you can get access to all the other great resources we have to offer" lol.

[robinhall]

Ah you caught me out. I'm actually going to offer some great real estate deals! :-)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Here's the Facebook group:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=165781

I'm not a member but there are some on this forum who are or have been who know much more about it. It's only small but perhaps it's another quick win and if they frequent other forums it all helps spread things.

For the piggybacking I was thinking maybe the major charities could post an article on their feeds to get the ball rolling? They will have huge numbers following them. See what the response is, what the charities think they can do and maybe it saves some work?

The big ones, such as MIND, also have the added bonus of celebrities (Stephen Fry is the current president, Melvyn Bragg the previous, so they have some reach via retweets).

I'm not a social media person either but I've seen how the dubious anxiety "gurus" use Facebook & Twitter to reach out and how they rope in celebrities to increase their awareness of dubious products. Charities are well networked so can hopefully achieve better.

[robinhall]

Thanks will check that out

A new charity called anxious minds expressed an interest but they would like to upload it as a course so it won't mention my website which is fine as long as it helps someone

I'm hoping the momentum will build over time

There have been around 10,000 page views from around 600 people from nmp in just 12 days so that's encouraging :-)

[MyNameIsTerry]

That's good news then.

Maybe they are concerned about changes to websites outside of their control given their members are vulnerable? As long as they give you full credit for the course, which I'm sure they will as your credentials help to sell it, then people can always find their way over if needed.

It sounds like you are getting hits off the watchers then?

If you want to try another local charity, there is one in my city called Changes. Just Google Changes Stoke-On-Trent for the website. They are quite committed to expansion into other regions, have been round over 20 years, are ex & current sufferers and are trying to set up a radio station which they have funding for. I'm a member (as are others on here) as I used to go to the walk-in groups. They offer courses that are CBT based and they are connected to one of the two local IAPT providers for the city, Healthy Minds who are part of Rethink. They may consider a CCBT course as part of their courses?

[Primula]

I've used Robin's online course, and I can vouch that there is absolutely no catch. The CBT course is excellent and Robin is a very nice genuine man. When I had a really bad patch of anxiety a few years ago, I emailed him for advice on how to use CBT and he was really helpful. You have nothing to lose by signing up for a look. I promise it is genuine, no money is asked for, he's been recommended by NMP in the past.

[robinhall]

Thanks for that :-) And can I add that you don't even have to 'sign up' just go to the site it is all there to view online in plain view