Counselling.

[RobyBaggio18]

Been waiting four months for CBT and after a move Ive been offered counselling instead. She said this does entail a little CBT. Ive been told that South Birmingham do not refer people to the Mental Health team unless it is for a more severe illness.

I'm not sure if this is such a wise move, I wanted something solution based and not something that focuses on my problems.


Has anyone else had good experiences with counselling?

[Meg]

Counselling covers a massive arena so don't wipe her out yet.

Go and meet her and try to steer her into doing more CBT counselling stuff with you. If you appear cooperative, helpful and enthusiastic she is likely to respond in kind.

Wave a CBT book at her and encourage her to do a two pronged attack with you.

Its true that she will need to do a probing introductory session. If you focus on current stuff and don't get enticed into loads of past stuff - although do talk about what might be relevant - then it helps too.





Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[RobyBaggio18]

yeah that was kind of my gameplan. I dont believe in this 'you've got anxiety cuz you weren't potty trained properly when you were young' crap. Just gonna try and focus whats happened since last year (when i felt ace!!) and a way out of this mess.

I don't believe anythng is keeping me anxious apart from my symptoms, I think that also goes for a lot of other on here.

I was thinking about buying another CBT book but a lot are crap. Ive got the Claire Weekes collection. I find most CBT books are so contradictionary, telling you not to fight your anxiety and then imagine yourself on floating down a river when the panic comes.

[nomorepanic]

Roby

I had counselling when I was first officially diagnosed and it was fab - we did relaxatoion tapes and correct breathing etc.

I am afraid to say that the books are right - the more you fight it the worse it gets. Claire Weeks talks a lot about floating - something I could never relate to personally but what she means is to accept things and don't fight it.

It will calm down on its own in less than 20 minutes. So the "float" thing is about letting it ride its time out and not struggle against it. It does work but I never found it easy to do.

Nicola

[RobyBaggio18]

I know it sounds weird but it's not the actual panic attacks that bother me the most, its the constant anxiety in between. I always know the panic will go its just the after effects, blurred vision, hypervigilance etc that seriously bother me.

I always take Claire Weekes books with me everywhere.

The usual anxiety/panic books are crap and so insincere. You can tell they are only produced to make money.

[doddy]

roby,

i agree most of the books are crap...but claire weekes is good and i agree about the not being potty trained correcly thing...lol.....yes i think that for most is nonsense. just my opinion.

i know its not cheap but could go go cbt privately?? i know its exspensive but i think id go without anything to pay for it.

have u tried megs cd set?? i found that brilliant.

ive nver been one for the relaxation way and probably never will be im more bring it on and make it as bad as you can and that has helped to be honest. if all that is really bothering u is the in between bits then id recommend megs cds. they were great.

good luck

andy

[RobyBaggio18]

what are the cd's like?

This is my second bout of anxiety in 4 years, so im not new to it, so I probably know quite a bit already.