Hi
I was just wondering if anyone here had been given schema therapy before. If so, what schemas were you told you had problems with and how did you get on with the treatment? How does the treatment work?

I'm about to start this style of therapy in conjunction with person-centred counselling, which I have already had for a number of months and which has been the most effective form of therapy I've ever had so far. I'm not sure what to expect from the schema therapy, as I haven't liked psychodynamic therapy in the past, but my therapist says this is more like CBT?

I have been told the schemas I'm having trouble with are largely the Unrelenting Standards schema and the Self Sacrifice schema, but there are hints of the Defectiveness schema, Social Isolation schema and Vulnerability schema going on there as well.

My aim is to be able to balance myself out, as I tend to go through periods of being very high functioning and seemingly 'well' followed by a sudden crash, which depending on how bad it is, can lead to bizarre behaviour/thoughts/physical illness etc. I had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (sometimes it really is like I'm two people!), but I was unsure as I do not seem to have mood swings as such - I never feel happy. I've been told that the bipolar diagnosis is probably incorrect and it's more that I'm basically functioning a little too highly half the time (working myself into the ground and ignoring my emotions, like a machine) and then when I crash, the floodgates come open and absolutely everything hits me at once, which leads to a kind of breakdown. This makes total sense to me as that's exactly how it feels.

I need to get out of the pattern and realise that's what schema therapy is about, but I'd love to know whether others have managed to get out of their patterns, as well as how they did so, and if the effects were long term.

Thanks