A surprisingly good CBT session

[Justin1973]

Hi everyone,
Had my second CBT session today in about 4 weeks and it's been surprisingly good and encouraging.

When I've done CBT before, I used CBT tables that I've had to make up myself.

They'd consist of the titles; Date, experiment, anxiety and believe % before hand, outcome, what I have learnt and anxiety and believe after %.

This is what I'm currently doing now. However, today, I've been introduced to thought record diary. Very interesting. I record everytime I feel anxious about something, and upcoming event. I look at why I feel anxous about, what's the worry etc. I give my anxiety a percentage rating. Then,I look at Evidance for this anxious thought and evidenace against it. Then exploring balanced thoughts, challenging my current thoughts and beliefs and what I can do to give myself reasurance etc.

I've never done this before. I think this will be of real benefit to me. I'm being sent some copys of the thought record diary on e-mail to crack on with.

Best of all; while my anxiety levels have been bad and I've been anxious every single day about a particular upcoming event I expected my GAD scale to be worryingly high. However, went through it and my anxiety levels are recorded at 7. We double checked that as well and everything I stated and councellor written down was true. we still came up with 7. I'm very surprised and, well, the relife. It's given me a boost for the rest of the evening. Maybe the weekend

Is anyone familliar with thought record diaries? and other methods used in CBT?

[Gemma T]

Yes Ive done these. They are fantastic. You will find you dont need to write them down after a while. I do mine automatically in my head now.

I was also taught a relaxation technique. You have to close your eyes and imagine an apple. Just look at it and dont touch or do anything. Gradually step back from it. Leave it there in your mind and slowly walk further and further from it. Eventually you wont see the apple. Now do this with your anxiety. Mine was oral cancer. I found this so useful because I could do this everywhere.

Gd luck with your CBT x x x

[Justin1973]

Cool! That's a really good tool to learn there. I think I'll try that one out for my social anxiety and panic. I like that idea.

I'm pleased I've got these forms to do as I can see them helping me a lot!!!