Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: FW: First CBT Apt

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    954

    FW: First CBT Apt

    Hi everyone

    Well today was my first CBT apt, it was pretty hair raising, I had to go back over the last 30 odd years of my life, trying to explain why and when I had my first fear of death and my first reall major panic attack, what a nightmare.

    I know this is an important factor into my CBT but god it was hard working and so draining, next week I have to give her a list of all the things I would like to do,

    When I listened to myself talking today, I felt like I was being so self piteous, it almost sounded pathetic, listening to my life story, but then I realised to myself, that actually this was not self pity, but a story which I have had to relive for over 30 years and I now want to close the chapter and move on.

    I am really scared that all this reliving of my past is not going to help me, mainly because I have done this before, but hopefully this time something positive will come out of it, I just want to close the door on this and move on with my life for my children and for myself, is that possible???

    Well sorry for rambling but I just wanted to talk this through, !!!



    Please if anyone is currently doing CBT I would love to know how it works for you and where you all started from when you started it.


    Sue with 5 children



    scknight

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    424
    Hi Susan, i`ve had my first cbt appointment yesterday.Why didn`t i have to tell her my life story i wonder...She had some information from the psychiatrist that referred me to her . But she didn`t ask me when did it all start,how i felt, nothing from before , just what`s bothering me now. She asked me if the feelings that scare me right now, the breathing would go away would i feel alright . I told her i would . I feel like i wanted to express myself , i wanted to say all those things i feel but i didn`t have a chance. She gave me a bit of a levture on things i already know, fight and flight and how worrying thoughts affect us, nothing new and that instead of dwelling on things , like what if -what if something is wrong this time , what if docs are wrong , why do i feel this , what could be the reason , what could be wrong with me and so on and so on or sending treatening messages to my brain all the time like it`s gonna get worse,i won`t be able to breathe or whatever other symptom i may feel, i should say - this is the case, doc said i`m fine except for anxiety, he said i feel this because of anxiety, how am i gonna make it better now?
    I was trying to be positive afterwards,to think like that,nothings wrong with me, to distract myself, i managed a bit but than i started listening to my body again to see if i still feel it and of course than i did and when it get bad ,it`s hard to think it`s gonna be alright and be positive and not feel like they`re all wrong ,i`m doomed , something`s wrong with my breathing,it`s still there and it`s gonna get worse and they didn`t wanna help me, how can they say it`s just anxiety...OH
    I`m so sorry for my rambling lol
    I know you don`t like going over the past again and you`ve done it before you said, but she may give you another way to look on it or something like that [^]Maybe hopefully you won`t ever have to go over it again and will be able to move on
    I wish you luck with it really
    I have a lot of hope put into this cbt...and money so i really really hope it`s gonna work

    Mila xx

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    2,611
    Hi Sue,

    I think the therapist may have wanted to know more about you and the causes so she could adopt the right approach in your CBT. This kind of therapy does not generally look back but more in the present and future.

    Any kind of therapy can be draining at times and I can understand why this session was.

    I don't have CBT myself, but I am aware that you are likely to experience some discomfort when you are set quite difficult tasks. That bit is all about conquering fears and you will have to adopt the attitude of No Pain, No Gain at times.

    CBT can be very effective and the chances are that it will do you a power of good. Do the homework and you will win through!

    Cheers,

    Ray



    Don't wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you've got to make yourself.--Alice Walker

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    517
    hi sue,

    i had my first CBT last week and my therapist did the same to me - went over my past.. She is just getting a picture of you and your life so she knows how best to continue with you and to understand why things affect you the way they do. With this in mind she is far more qualified to be able to help you. Its better they know the full story as then they can get right into the nitty gritty of the problem.
    I had CBT 2 years ago and didn't go into that much detail, so i hope with this time, we able to get to the core of it and alter my thinking in order for us to be able to deal with and cope with things better..
    when is your next appt? mine is on weds..
    keep in touch,
    Lisa
    xxx

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    46,966
    Sue and Mila

    Good luck to both of you with the CBT sessions. I had it many years ago and she concentrated more on getting me to face things and then went back into my past (which I didn't like).

    I hope it works out well for you both.

    Sue - yes it is hard work - I used to dread going sometimes cos she would give me stuff to do that I know I wasn't going to like! It gets easier in time.

    Nicola

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    53
    I've had 3 CBT sessions so far and I too had to go into my past. I actually questioned her about it as I always held the view that CBT was about the present and future, rather looking for root causes, except what has happened and move on from there.
    She explained that anxiety stems from a combination of factors in everyone (physiolgical symtoms, cognitive thoughts, behaviour patterns etc) and everyone can see a situation differently. The way this occurs is from life events, relationships, childhood and the way we view ourselevs. By looking at these things and understanding the connection between the way we have been brought up and what we have been exposed to and the way we now view situations, we can start to unlearn the negative and challange the thoughts we have always taken for granted. I don't know if that made any sense and it is only my interpretation on what she was trying to explain. I think basically, we are all a product of our environments and by understanding that, we can go on to change for the better.
    Hope this helps. I found it hard to talk about stuff as well. It felt like she was trying to find some terrible thing that had happened to me in the past that made me the way I am now but I think it is more about an understanding of the person you are and where that came from. Only then can you start to change.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    3,857
    I had my assessment appointment a few weeks ago and it was all looking into my past, which I didn't enjoy. I guess they think that you can't sort out your present and future until you have dealt with the past. Makes sense I guess..

    "Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    8,314
    Much CBT does deal with the present but the thought/ behaviour patterns started somewhere.

    If you can recognise it then it does make the recovery path much more recognisable and easier to walk along as you can understand where you are coming from .

    It does quickly move onto the here and now rather than staying in childhood and even past lives for years. CBT should make a real difference (not necessarily totally recovered) in 8 sessions whereas psychoanalysis can take several months to make any headway ..


    Meg
    www.anxietymanagementltd.com

    Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
    Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •