CBT is it for everyone?

[downwardspiral]

My GP suggested I self-refer to the NHS talking therapy service. I got a person assigned to me, but I think that they gave me the wrong type of therapy. I don't see it working, altho I am just halfway through it, it doesn't make sense to my case. The booklet they sent me is one where you have to write your worries down and then have a set worry time every day where you go through your list of worries and worry for half an hour then that's it. I don't get that, it makes no sense to me. For one, my anxiety is not always, or almost never, caused by outside events or by worries. I do have worries, but my bigger problem is a constant level of background anxiety relating to nothing at all. So how am I supposed to do a list of worries when there aren't many or any to speak of? I was thinking of asking about a different approach as this doesn't seem suitable for me. Any suggestions as to what would be better? I'm not even sure CBT would be that useful for me at all. At the moment, my main worry is about worry time and lists of worries which aren't being done!

[Carnation]

Definitely bring those comments up. If you are not comfortable now, it's just not going to work. They need to adapt to your personal circumstances.
Maybe even Mindfulness might be more something suitable to you or just therapy time where you can talk about stuff in your control. :)

[downwardspiral]

Thanks for your reply, I have an appointment on wednesday and I was thinking of telling her that this was a waste of time for me and is there something else I could try. I also don't feel comfortable with the style of the therapist whether it's the CBT approach which seems cold and clinical, one size fits all type thing, or if it's how she doesn't seem interested in taking notes or discussing aspects that are outside of her script sheet?

I have tried mindfulness, and I struggled. But that was on my own, maybe with someone to guide me it would make more sense. I had talking psychotherapy in the past and that didn't really do much other than unburden myself of some of the weight of my issues. which is not necessarily bad, but it didn't seem to get to the bottom of things and fix things before they occurred rather than relieving the effects after it happened, if that makes sense.

I have found a mindfulness website, it's a 4 week treatment and it's only £30, I wonder if that would be any good.

[Carnation]

I agree about the clinical approach and that sounds a good deal with the Mindfulness course.
I actually did mine on my own with the help of a book that was very easy to follow by Ruby Wax which was also 4 weeks. It helped me tremendously and the course is only a dozen or so pages in the middle with other tips written in story fashion either side. I can't remember the name of it, but if I do I will let you know.
One to one therapy can work out very expensive, but you could ask to go on the NHS list as you always have the option to cancel if you change your mind. :)

[downwardspiral]

Glad to see I am not alone feeling that the clinical aspect of CBT is offputting. I just find it really difficult to try and rationalise things I know are irrational, there is no logic in that process. I'll have a look at the Ruby Wax book, I have really bad concentration problems though, so the video course might be easier to follow for me than a book.

[Carnation]

The book is called 'Frazzled', a Mindfulness Guide by Ruby Wax. :)

[downwardspiral]

Thanks, I'll have a look for it :)

[downwardspiral]

Hey Carnation, the book arrived yesterday, I started reading it last night, it reads well, so it might be good for me. I had no idea that Ruby Wax had a masters degree in MBCT! Who knew :)

I got my letter of discharge from the NHS talking therapy PWP which said "I declined" their offer to put me in their mindfulness group therapy. a) I explained to her that I am an introvert and group therapy is not something I'd consider. b) it's 1 hour drive each way which is not something I can manage. But "I declined" I also "declined" her offer to send me a list of private therapists. :emot-rolleyes: I can find my own private therapist I just find it really poor that they only offer the one-size-fits-all approach, the one treatment, which is clearly not suitable for all.

Let's hope the book helps me :) Thanks for telling me about it!

[Alde]

Hi downward,

I had the same ‘therapy’ from the NHS as you lol.

I wouldn’t say no to CBT completely just based on your experience with them. I think it’s very much hit and miss on whether you get a decent ‘therapist’ or not. Mine literally read a work book to me and occasionally asked me to chime in and read a few sentences.

I was also being treated for panic attacks when I don’t have panic attacks and it took them 3 months to agree with that.

My experience led me to believe they’re poorly trained and/or just not interested.

Hope you find something that works for you! Just wanted you to know that it’s definitely not only you or your fault that their therapy didn’t work for you.

Cheers,

Al

[downwardspiral]

Al thanks for the feedback, I'm sure CBT helps some people, I didn't think it was my fault though, but on the letter to my GP it looks as if I was being awkward lol I wasn't! :D

I felt that they didn't listen or care, didn't really take any background information. I had to repeat some thing I'd told previously and they didn't seem interested. I think their job is to guide you through the booklet, but I could have done it by myself really. I don't see the point of the 'therapist' in that instance.

[Carnation]

I hope you find the book helpful, I certainly did.
So easy to understand and the Mindfulness not too textbook if you know what I mean.
I wouldn't be able to do group therapy either or travel long distance.
I did seek my own private therapist and if you search around you can find one that suits your needs, some even come to you.
The NHS also don't tell you that you only get 6 sessions, then you have to pay. I had 3 years with therapists and it still didn't cure me, but was good to offload.

[downwardspiral]

Glad it helped you, I think I might benefit from the book, as you say, it's easy to understand and the writing style makes it easy to take it all in.
I've had counselling with various therapists and none of it really worked. It's true it's nice to offload, but now I write down what bothers me in a journal. I've had anxiety and panic disorder for over 40 years now and no one has managed to fix me. I knew that the NHS thing was only a set number of weeks, I didn't know they wanted you to pay after that.

[Carnation]

The NHS use therapists from outside, so the therapist you see might do private and NHS.
I have a supposedly well respected therapist living 3 doors down from me and was surprised to find her own life in a disarray and her approach to helping was a complete nonsense. She actually asked me how I coped and because she sees me out and about she comments on me being cured. :blush:

I've seeked my own coping methods and knowledge.
NMP is a great source of help and people that completely understand.
I hope the book helps you as it did me. x

[downwardspiral]

Eep, that sounds so inappropriate of your therapist!

I have been coping on my own for a long time too, always trying to find ways to ease the anxiety and I manage to a point, but it seems for some reason, the background noise has been louder recently, it's been a little more difficult to deal with. I went to see a private counsellor about a phobia, she was recommended by my GP practice and that was really a waste of time. I ended up giving her a few hundred pounds over a couple of months and realised I'd gained absolutely nothing from all those sessions, it was like going to chat with a rubbish friend. Then I thought, I could have bought myself something nice with that money, that might have made me feel a lot better. ;)

I think that the longer you live with something like anxiety, the better you become at developing coping mechanisms. When it gets out of control again, you know something went wrong, and you have to think of new strategies. I am sure things will get under control again, just need to tackle this differently. I think we are very robust deep down.