CBT Query.

[Liverbird67]

I have my first CBT appointment shortly on the NHS and in my local health centre, isn't that brilliant? However I am starting to feel quite anxious about it, what will happen, will the therapist make me lie on a couch and ask me about my childhood? how many sessions do you get? I know what it is and what it does I believe it is challenging your way of thinking and making yourself think about things differently but isn't this easier said than done?

Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Debbie

[befuddled1]

Hi Debbie
As far as I understand it CBT is definitely not about lying on a couch and talking about your childhood (I'd be pretty nervous if I had to do that!! ) As you said it's about challenging your thoughts and behaviours in the present (rather than delving into the past to see where they have come from.) Well, that is my experience at least. You are looking to identify any errors in your thinking (e.g. over generalising) and to come out with a realistic picture of things rather than the wholly negative one which you might tend towards. I know what you mean about it sounding like it's easier said than done, to change the way you think and feel, but what my therapist has said is that it's about practising challenging thinking patterns in a particular way (I write down in table format) until you can do that automatically.
I'm no expert. But have had a few sessions of therapy using CBT techniques and also encountered through other resources, but I think that what I've said should be accurate. Although of course different therapists may work in different ways - and I'm not sure if there could be different subtypes of CBT.
Anyhow, feel free to ask more questions.
Hope that helps somehow.
I understand you being a bit apprehensive, but remember that the therapist is there to help you.
Beth

[freakedout]

Hi Liverbird67

That is good to hear you have an appointment for CBT coming up, but I can understand your anxieties. I had CBT a couple of years ago, with a psychiatric nurse who had qualifications as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.

The appointments were an hour each, and the first one involved an assessment of what my symptoms were and what I was most afraid of. I have panic disorder and depression, and supposedly agora which fluctuates. The therapist was not really interested in what happened in childhood etc, but was quite focused on how she help me to overcome some of the behaviour I had as a result of my panic attacks, such as avoidance. She seemed good at understanding me, which helps, as you don't have to describe every detail.

And yes as you say the therapy challenges your thoughts and beliefs and tries to rationalize them. I didn't have to lie on a couch (thank goodness!!) I was sat in a chair as near to the door as possible, ready for my quick escape!!

Good luck with it, I hope I have helped to alleviate some of your worries. I am sure you will find it helpful.

Freaky

[Sarah26]

Hi Liverbird67

That is good to hear you have an appointment for CBT coming up, but I can understand your anxieties. I had CBT a couple of years ago, with a psychiatric nurse who had qualifications as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.

The appointments were an hour each, and the first one involved an assessment of what my symptoms were and what I was most afraid of. I have panic disorder and depression, and supposedly agora which fluctuates. The therapist was not really interested in what happened in childhood etc, but was quite focused on how she help me to overcome some of the behaviour I had as a result of my panic attacks, such as avoidance. She seemed good at understanding me, which helps, as you don't have to describe every detail.

And yes as you say the therapy challenges your thoughts and beliefs and tries to rationalize them. I didn't have to lie on a couch (thank goodness!!) I was sat in a chair as near to the door as possible, ready for my quick
escape!!

Good luck with it, I hope I have helped to alleviate some of your worries. I am sure you will find it helpful.

Freaky

Hi ya.. After reaing your reply on CBT I thought I would drop u a post as your sound like you have exaclt what I have.
I 2 have panic disorder/depression. I also avoid almost every thing now due to the fact I am to scared of having an attack.
Did u find the CBT help full I also just started on Citalopram 10mg I am on day 5 have your tried this med. If yes was it helpful.
I have a huge phobia of trains planes lifts ETC any thing I can not escape from if I need to, I really want to start getting back on a train as it is only a 27 min journey to my family and there is not really any other form of transport that could get me there, so this has resulted in me being detached from my friends and family, this has made me feel worse as I haev 2 small children and I want to be able to take them places...
Hope your feeling ok and my name is Sarah.
x

[freakedout]

I have pm'd you Sarah

[decca]

Hi,
I'm glad you have finally got an appointment,
CBT is extremely usefull and should be conducted in comfortable suroundings, the therapist may use the the first session to get a brief history of your family and your background and at the end should inform you whether he/she can help you with your problems and set out a plan of how he/she will conduct the next sessions.
The following sessions will probably be talking in more depth about your illness to identify any thought patterns and feelings leading to your fears and anxiety and talking you through them to help you turn any negative thoughts into possitive ones or unnecassary ones.The therapist will probably ask you to keep a diary of any upsetting events that you can both talk about later.
At the beginning of any subsequent appointments the therapist should ask how you've been since you last met to give you the chance to talk about any specific problems.
If you suffer from anxiety/panic attacks,the therapist should set aside a short period of each session ( or maybe the whole of one session) to give you a brief description of our anatomy and explain to you what happens in your body during a panic attack, ie;the effects of adrenaline on your heart and muscles,what changes our breathing and what causes our dizzies, this is done to help you deal with a PA better and to assure you that it can not harm you.
I hope this helps,feel free to pm me if I can help further.
Decca,

[Liverbird67]

Can I just thank everyone for their kind advice re my query I feel a lot better about it now, I think I am sort of on the road to recovery, I work in mental health so I know what the PA are and what causes them, I just want to readjust my thinking and to be able to say to myself

"I am having a panic attack how inconvenient, if I do xyz it will go away soon etc etc"
instead of the whole sorry shebang of what one usually thinks (I won't go into detail and frighten anyone just in case someone reading this is suffering very minor ones if thats possible!)

My appointment is on 17th June but I return to work next monday, I think I have a few anxs about that but hey ho I will keep everyone posted on how I get on you never know I might just give some other poor soul a bit of hope or encourage you all to run screaming for the hills.

Once again thanks for the support

Regards

Debbie
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Gregor]

will the therapist make me lie on a couch and ask me about my childhood?

Hi,

I thought i would add my tuppence worth, since i'm currently undergoing CBT.

Believe me, the first session i had, i wished i could have had a couch to lie on! that's how bad i was that first time - i was all over the place, couldnt think straight, it's a wonder i got through the first session at all. However, a few months on now and i'm feeling a whole lot better and can do so much that i couldnt do before.

So, CBT i would say is definitely a positive step for you. As has been mentioned, the first session will probably just going over your symptoms, how you feel, etc. At some point, your therapist will go over your past, but only briefly, because it's not most important.

My therapist set me some tasks each week to do before the next session - nothing too difficult, just manageable based on things we discuss in our session (like she told me to go to McDonalds for a meal! that was to get me used to just sitting eating being surrounded by people - unbelievably that was my first EVER meal out with my wife!!).

There's nothing to worry about. It is quite important to have a therapist you are comfortable with and one that makes you feel comfortable.

I hope all goes well and remember to let us know how it goes.

Gregor