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peter_griffen
07-01-09, 20:10
Hi Folks.

I have had Panic-attacks for sometime, my Doctor has decided to put me on a CBT course at the surgery which i will be starting later this month.

Can any fellow members confirm what type of CBT they had, and if it has helped them with their Panic-attacks? Any stories of experience would be handy to know.

Thanks

Jay

Missy69
07-01-09, 20:13
Hiya Jay,

I have only ever done a cbt course on line, but i found it very helpful and motivating to do. I think it is really good and i hope you benefit from yours.

Good luck

Deli
07-01-09, 22:09
Hi Jay

i had CBT, i suffer with GAD and panic attacks, i had CBT at the beginning when i first started suffering and to be honest i didn't undrerstand what was happening to me and i was too ashamed to talk about it so i wasn't completley honest with my therapist because i just wanted to get out of there.

basically they help you to train your mind to think differently so when you feel panicky and the symptoms start they tell you why each symptom is happening and what exactly is goin on inside your body so you understand the symptoms and realise you are not goin to die, faint etc... then when u fully understand this, they help you to learn techniques to relax you when you are feel an attack coming and the aim is that eventually u will be able to control your panic instead of it controlloing you and your life and eventually hopefully you will be panic attack free. so CBT is such a great course to take i would love to take it again now im older and more aware. just make sure you are completly honest with your therapist, dont try and put on a brave face and complete the exercises they give to you outside of therapy and you will be on the road to recovery.

best of luck and let me know how u get on.

Deli xx

Dominic1975
07-01-09, 22:28
I have suffered with Anxiety since I was a child and this manifested to panic attacks about 18months ago.... Slowly this turned into a social phobia and aggrophobia....
I found CBT helped by giving me techniques to clam myself down when I had a panic attack... and I had to expose myself to situation I had been avoided in small steps until I didnt have negative feeling towards that situation
It was hard work, as you keep on having to push yourself out of your comfort zone... I was able to identify as well that I had a lack of confidence in certain parts of my life and now I am able to start working on that
CBT did help, but I felt it was not the answer to everything I needed

Wenjoy
08-01-09, 17:30
My CBT therapist through the Drs was young and we just talked in each session. i now understand my "hot thought" which triggers a panic attack is that I panic its too hot and I cant breathe and I have to say to myself "yes it is hot in here, just take your coat off - of course theres enough air - you are fine" it sort of helps but didnt get as much out of it as I hoped. Wenjoy x

lc7624
18-01-09, 00:37
Hi Jay,

Im doing a course of CBT with my GP, and ive been doing it for about 2 months. I find that it really helped me to understand that im not alone in some of the thoughts i have and that many people feel the same - as we can also see from this website. Also, it helps with learning techniques for relaxation and breathing. The thing i find difficult is sticking with it regularly, so i see my GP every week to try and keep on top of the workbook.
As the others have said, it tries to change your way of thinking, and to a degree it has, questioning worrying thoughts with questions like, "what is the worst that can happen?" When you realise that you cannot die from panic, the fear lightens a little, although panic attacks are still really scary, i feel better prepared with techniques to control them, and the confidence that I will be ok afterwards. Hope this helps..

Lucy xx

freakedout
18-01-09, 00:52
I am currently on my second attempt with CBT for anxiety, panic attacks, avoidance behaviour and depression.

It does apparently work, and the Government (NICE) recommendations for treating these conditions include CBT. I have mixed feelings and experiences. I have lots of automatic negative thoughts and very fixed beliefs, I am not very suggestible and wish that I were because I think I could respond very differently. I have had probs which worsened over the last 14yrs or so and I do believe that if I was treated way back when my symptoms were less severe I might have responded more quickly.

I have tried to face my fears but I still am overwhelmed at times and cannot bare to put myself throught situations despite knowing that I will not go crazy, lose control, die, pass out, vomit or soil my pants. I know that the feeling will pass but can I pluck up the courage to put myself in these situations, well mostly no and occasionally yes just for a one off. My therapist tells me I need to be consistent and keep exposing myself to the situations but I am too weak. Despite my knowledge I am still scared of being scared and feeling so awful.

I wish you luck, and please note the majority of comments about CBT will be positive I don't want to put you off at all this is just my individual experience.

Freaky

Meltdown
18-01-09, 13:02
CBT is both a disappointment, and a miracle cure!

Let me explain....

It is a disappointment, because it really is nothing very special, or complicated, just a fancy buzzword for thinking about your problems in a new way.

It's about understanding what happens physically when we have a panic attack

It's about understanding that situations and certain activities don't cause the feelings that lead to panic, it's our thoughts about those things which cause the feelings! "what you think is what you feel"



It's a miracle cure, because it works! But it doesn't happen overnight. We need to re-train our minds about how we view certain situations, and realize that the situations cannot harm us, or, in themselves, cause a panic attack. It's our thoughts about those situations which cause our panic.


Now here's the hard part. Your therapist will probably warn you against "avoidance and distraction". It is necessary to gently expose ourselves to some of the situations which make us feel uncomfortable, and this requires a degree of courage.

It's hard, but I have found that every time I have faced a situation which has caused me to feel anxious, and NOT avoided it, my tendancy to have panic attacks in general decreases. This works even if facing it caused a panic attack. You just face it again another day.

Each time I avoid a situation, it increases my general tendancy towards having further attacks.

I just arm myself with a paper bag (to breath into if I hyperventilate), and tell myself that however uncomfortable things get, I'm going to be alright.


Claire Weekes book "Self Help for your Nerves" is basically about CBT, long before the term had been invented, and had a hugely postive effect on me!

Good luck with your therapy - and stick with it!

tm_edinburgh
20-01-09, 16:14
I started CBT Oct 08 going every 2 weeks. I've a young child and getting my homework done in one week is juts too much. Anyway suffered PA for 11 years now. I'm getting better. My hot spots are driving, interviews, public transport. Driving on my own being the worst.
My therapist has gone through my background breifly. Basically she didn't want to delve into Why for too long she's only interested in looking forward.
I get homework things like

write down when I'm feeling anxious, triggers, intensity, balanced opinions
drive 5 miles on my own
pratice relaxation techniques
list what benefits coping will give me
drive 5 miles on my own in the dark
think of a coping skill unique to you
drive on the bypass

etc etc..

It makes you address your panic. Today I drove 40 miles. I'm so chuffed. I seem to be able to not let my panic spiral out of control and every time I cope my confidence is better and my bodies natural reaction is relearning.

Sorry I'm waffling...yes I think CBT works. A caviat tho...you have to get on with you counsellor or at least trust them and that might take a couple of sessions and I also got worse before I got better but that might have been because I got made redundan after my first session.