CBT not working

[Catcat26]

Hi, I’ve been having cbt therapy with iapt on and off for the past few years. In July it was stepped up to level 3 cbt. My problem is that it doesn’t seem so be doing me any good whatsoever. Has anyone on here had cbt and found that it hasn’t worked for them?
I’m so worried that if the cbt hasn’t worked what am I supposed to do next? It’s awful to think that I’m not going to get better.

[braindead]

CTB DONT WORK FOR EVERYBODY, never worked for me, the nhs class i went to only because a therapist said come along brian if you like. there was 12 people in the class, 1 girl ran out the door before it even started never to be seen again , It was a 1 day course for 6 weeks. Started with 12 finished with 3 and i was the only guy on the course. out of the 12 it helped 1 person, but 1 is better than nothing but to me it was ******** but that could have been the instructors

[ana]

CBT doesn't work for everyone. Personally, I've found talking therapy to be the best as it actually gets to the root cause of the issue. It's no good working on the symptom without knowing the cause as, once you've managed to deal with one panic-inducing situation, without having identified what your triggers are, you are more than likely to start struggling with a different situation and won't know why.
All talk no work is no good, either, and the therapist should encourage you to push yourself and expand your boundaries, but I believe psychoanalysis is the best way to go about healing yourself.

[KK77]

Look at this free online course recommended by NMP - it might be easier to work at your own pace and in your own time.

http://cbt4panic.org/

[Catcat26]

Thank you for your replies. Doing a group course for cbt must be hard, I don’t think I could do it. I’d be the girl who ran out the door! My cbt therapy just isn’t working so it’s time to look at other options.

[widge]

CBT is not a magic bullet for everyone.....some it helps...others not so much. We are all so different and CBT sometimes seems a bit formulaic or impersonal?
I have had two 'rounds' of CBT over the course of my lifelong struggle with anxiety, one course supplied by the NHS and another much later rather generously supported by my employers at the time. I didn't really gain a lot from either I'm afraid.
Certainly....I would not have entertained doing it as a 'group' therapy:wacko:

What helped me MORE was simple talking therapy provided by a sympathetic and personable counselor (which was pretty spendy!) and even more-and this certainly wouldn't work for everyone - a one-on-one series of classes -over a year or more- with a young exBuddhist Monk concentrating on Yoga, Breath control, relaxation technique, 'mindfulness' meditation and more.

This was a revelation to me...and I still remember/use that wisdom to great effect today-although it requires a certain amount of discipline that is often hard to find when we feel at our lowest.
As I said - not for everyone - and not so much a cure as a coping strategy - I was a little skeptical and resistant for a while with it - but (for me) it was a powerful medicine in the end, and I have never forgotten it.

[AntsyVee]

I’ve often needed medication to calm my brain down enough for therapy to work. A lot of times I need both together.

[braindead]

Thank you for your replies. Doing a group course for cbt must be hard, I don’t think I could do it. I’d be the girl who ran out the door! My cbt therapy just isn’t working so it’s time to look at other options.
This was a bad class i went to not 1 on 1 . i dont no if its better in your area check it out then make your mind up :wacko:

[I Don't Get it!]

What helped me MORE was simple talking therapy provided by a sympathetic and personable counselor (which was pretty spendy!) and even more-and this certainly wouldn't work for everyone - a one-on-one series of classes -over a year or more- with a young exBuddhist Monk concentrating on Yoga, Breath control, relaxation technique, 'mindfulness' meditation and more.

This was a revelation to me...and I still remember/use that wisdom to great effect today-although it requires a certain amount of discipline that is often hard to find when we feel at our lowest.


Just wanted to say how much I agree with widge.

I could never get into Yoga (I wanted to, but I'm too lazy and too self conscious!), but the meditation, mindfulness, breathing techniques and relaxation - all of these have helped me enormously.

You don't have to spend fortunes, if you're short of money. I've used free mp3 downloads of guided meditation (Dartmouth College have good ones) and reasonably priced hypnosis mp3's, along with second-hand self help books for pounds few.

I found CBT did help me, but not in the beginning - I found some decent self help resources and they helped me understand my Anxiety & Depression far better than the CBT workbooks. It wasn't until I fully understood my condition that the CBT started to pay off*.

We're all different and we all find different things helpful - it's really up to you to try and find out as much as possible about how your own mind works and look into other avenues of help if isn't CBT doesn't work for you.

Have you read any Claire Weekes or David Burns? Those were the two that started me off on the road to recovery, but again, we're all different - find something that speaks to you.

I wish you well :flowers:

*PS
I can't imagine having to do group CBT - it was bad enough crying and snottering in front of one therapist!! :scared15:

[KK77]

Not referring to OP Catcat26 here, but I think too many people still hope for a magic bullet or "cure", when CBT is about managing your condition, and takes ongoing hard work, not just effort during CBT process itself. Eg, mindfulness is excellent but must be practised regularly in order to even touch the lifelong negative conditioning of an anxiety disorder.

[widge]

@ I Don't Get It is quite right.............

This type of 'Buddhist/or Yoga based therapy need not be expensive or hard to access.

You do not have to be a 'crank' to engage with this. Buddhist/or Yoga practitioners whether lay or ordained are not in the business of recruiting followers or converting people to some strange 'religion'. Their ethos reminds me of the NYPD motto 'TO Protect and Serve'. Yoga works on many levels and is remarkable stuff (IMO)The evolution of Yoga in the west over the the last century has drawn from elements of Buddhist philosophy and belief but is not in and of itself now tied to it-it has been adapted to make it more simple and non prescriptive, (and more easily accessable to all and sundry-which is all right and proper)

The Buddhist point of view,on the other hand (Yoga share shares similar roots) has little to do with proselytizing or evangelism it seems to go beyond that...there is simply a world view and ethos that encourages engagement with the reality of life-regardless of any preexisting 'faith' or belief system-or none at all. ANd Yoga has a well documented benefit for all sorts of things that seem to ail mankind.

Buddhism - and Yoga (which is a slightly different/seperate practice now int the west) absolutely engages with all, regardless of faith or persuasion or even complete lack of 'spirituality' as we understand it. Tolerance, compassion and empathy for all -regardless of any circumstances is one of the key tenets of their mission if you can call it that.
This makes them beyond our preconception of 'religion'. Buddhism takes you as it finds you, does not judge or preach and has a thousand years of wisdom -constantly revised evolved and applied to the real world. It is simply prepared to share with all 'sentient' beings on the planet regardless.( Modern Yoga kind of teaches you this without forcing it down your throat-plus-it is ruddy good exercise and releases all the right chemicals into your brian!)

No Buddhist or full-on Yoga Teacher I have ever met from lay to 'fully ordained' has ever tried to engage me with or coerce me into anything resembling a dodgy strange religious cult and I know this fear scares many away from the concept.

What they BOTH have is a very wholesome and therapeutic world view and great compassion.

During my year of working with my ex Monk Mike there was only ever concern for my well-being and no weirdness or religious agenda!
Of course- the full Buddhist OR Yogic lifestyle and commitment is there for people who REALLY want to live by it - and that is some serious apples-....but this isn't for everybody and is by no means a requisite.

There is a world of helpful and world-centric wisdom (freely shared-take it or leave Buddhists call it call it 'Dharma' In yoga it is very concisely distilled into the '8-fold Path'-you don't HAVE to follow it!)) that can perhaps help some of us lead more fulfilling and 'true-to-ourselves' lives out there and it easy(ish) to engage with-especially over the net and for no money or commitment! Nearly all good yoga classes will in some way acknowledge their roots in Buddhist ideals without you you even being aware of it or freaked out by it. (My yoga class simply chants 'Om' now and then as part of breath control practice and we sometimes meditate briefly on mindfulness-all good stuff) We bow our hands at the end of the class-a traditional practice- to thank our teacher and the the 'gift' of yoga-but there is nothing weird or religious about it.

When I did yoga practise with my 'Monk' then things were a bit different....it would end with a discussion about what was on our minds or maybe troubling us-and Mike would encourage discourse and proffer a Buddhist point of view... (this is 'Dharma')-but there was never a compulsion to ever have to say anything or give anything away)

I am by no means a 'Buddhist'! My lif e has been full of drinking, smoking meat-eating and unwholesome thoughts and actions! This is of no real concern to other 'Buddhists!'or Yoga teachers-but they can't help but point out better options.

HTH

widge - NOT a Buddhist but grateful for their help!

I have no agenda-I just wanted to share the things that have helped me most. It won't suit everybody ! SOmetimes fags booze and medication are what we all fall back on in extremis? I know I do! :whistles:...and I am still a wheezy anxious guy!!

PS...crikey....I sound like a Buddhist! It's the first time I've ever written about it. Sorry.