Biting the bullet: CBT

[Mirabelle]

Hi Poet. It true that we are fortune tellers of the worst kind, always foretelling the bleakest outcome.
I think you had a good day today because you are looking at your issues in the CBT sessions, sometimes the ideas need to 'sit' with you for a while, your mind works on them in the background. It's the same mechanism that causes the anxiety, this is why thoughts seem to come out of the blue; they rise up from your unconscious where you have been working on them. Give your mind chance to work on the CBT and repeat the exercises as often as you can, I think that this blots out the anxiety thoughts.
Glad you had a good day, I wish you many more.
xx

[theharvestmouse]

I'm over half way through my CBT and I have made some progress already that I have applied to life situations and it has benefited me. Although I am taking Citalopram, but I do not have a problem with this, I do wonder how I would be without it now though. But as people have said the meds and CBT are a helping tool to help us on our way, what we do in our lives is down to us.

My therapist has told me to do things that I have been avoiding, and I have already started doing this, so progress is being made. However I also fear that it will be a short term recovery, I have recovered to a decent level before and then suffered a setback, hence why I am now taking meds and doing CBT.

Its difficult to say how I will be when i finish the CBT sessions, that will be a testing time. What scares me the most is thinking about when I finish the CBT and then start trying to get on with life. But my therapist said the last session is all about how to cope with a relapse, so I hope that I will be able to deal with setbacks. Deep down I know that theres a good chance that I'll suffer one because thats the way this illness has been for me.

[robinhall]

Hi Harvestmouse

keep in mind that every session of CBT is part of how to cope with a relapse. Everything you are learning will be useful later on. Don't worry - even if you slip now and then you will never totally forget what you have learned and can pick yourself up again. This is also why it is so important to take lots of notes during your treatment so that you can read over them after therapy is finished.

The aim of CBT is to turn you into your OWN therapist. Think about what you have learned so far and imagine explaining it to someone else who is going through similar difficulties - you probably could. All you need to do is to go over it all again for yourself whenever you need to.

Anyway - glad that the CBT is helping
Robin

[NoPoet]

Hi everyone, again I am having to sneakily text at work so please accept my apologies if it seems I am ignoring your replies. I went to the No Panic self-help group today. At first I was highly nervous and my anxiety increased a lot in the first fifteen minutes. We all had a chat and a cup of tea, then we introduced ourselves.

Then the facilitators gave us a brief overview of CBT and Mindfulness. We discussed how thoughts, feelings, behaviour and our physical responses keep us in a negative, self-reinforcing loop, and used a visit to the dentist as an example. Then we had a 15-minute relaxation session listening to a Mindfulness cd.

I actually learned some important things about my anxiety:

* I don't fear my own thoughts, it's just the negative ones (obvious perhaps, but today actually demonstrated it).

* Taking 10 mins out of the day to relax is not scary or impossible and in fact offers tremendous benefits.

* I haven't "lost" the ability to do things, I NEVER HAD THEM due to the anxiety being so long standing.

[theharvestmouse]

As part of my CBT I have to fill in a thought diary daily as well as a positive log where I write down my progress. This has helped me, often when you read it back its sometimes as though it was written by a different person. Even on the Citalopram I still find that I am very up and down, I suppose it depends on events in that day. But even if I do the same things, one day I can feel positive and the next like everything is hopeless and the suicidal thoughts come again.

I also sometimes get triggers from things that can change my mood, these are the worst because I can be having a good day and bosh one of these triggers hits me and it then changes my whole day.

[ash1807]

Hi Poet,

I am glad you have 'discovered' some things about you at your session. Isn't it great that small but vital parts of our behaviours can be rationalised.

I found these CBT sessions to be very useful in pinpointing some of my behaviours. The tough one is to be able to practically & consistently apply these on a day to day basis. The overwhelming and overridoing notion is to fall back to what I am used to. I have found this to be the biggest hurdle out there in the real world.

You also acknowledged that dedicating some time to relax is quite satisfying. I often found that spending time with my own thoughts a terrifying ordeal. I got lucky as I did make an effort to attend some buddhist meditation classes. It is far easier to relax in a guided environment. Today, I do spend some time meditating in stillness, but more often with some guided commentary. Again, the benefit of this can only be realised through regular practice.

Poet, I have a really good realaxtion guides, ping me if you need to send them to you

The need to work towards getting better has to override everything else. This is missing in me. I have met people with far greater issues get better, since they have put everything on hold while they work on themselves. One even gave his well paid job up. I applaud these guys

I have been looking at CBT4panic, anyone with positive experiences ?

[NoPoet]

Hi, another quick reply, didn't have time to get online before work. Sorry if I once again miss some replies, i'll make up for this tomorrow, I do read everyone's replies. Ash - the CBT4PANIC is apparently very successful but is more aimed at overcoming panic attacks. Try www.livinglifetothefull.com or google No Panic as they offer online CBT. Also everyone is strongly recommended to speak to Anxiety UK as they provide a terrific helpline and cheap therapy (all kinds).

I have got more to say than I have time to respond so I will just say it's been a time of shocks and revelations, and I am still off the cit. CBT tomorrow.

[cathycrumble]

Hi poet glad to hear the CBT is going well I am waiting for mine to start.

Also thanks for telling us about Anxiety UK just phoned them and was very positive.

I took a 10mg of cit 2 days ago and OMG I was ill so I am not taking anymore I havnt been too bad but I thought the cit may help give me some calm. I was on them last year and I suffered the SE and they did help me infact I felt so good, I came off cold turkey and went back to being ill again.

I know anti depressents are just not for me so I have to do other coping stratagies. IE Claire Weeks and hopfully CBT and putting the positive thoughts into practice. not easy but it can be done.

Cathy xx

[NoPoet]

Hi Cathy, thank God, after me talking about Anxiety UK for months someone has finally rung them!!

I'd rather pay for therapy and get it now, not in 2 months when the anxiety has taken root. My employers are actually accommodating me so I can finish early to attend that self help group in January. Also a situation I was finding very distressing has been resolved and that has reduced my general tension level.

I guess an anxious person is more afraid of themselves than anything else. After all, our upsetting thoughts and feelings originate within us - they don't come from the outside world. This seems like the central philosophy behind CBT. We learn to cope with ourselves, then there is very little the real world can do to stop us!

[cathycrumble]

Do you know that has just clicked with me lol what you have said "After all, our upsetting thoughts and feelings originate within us - they don't come from the outside world." We put the fear in these thoughts. That's something i must learn to realize.

Cathy xx