Starting CBT

[Karen]

Glad to hear it is going so well Elaine and you are getting something out of it already. It all sounds very positive.

And no, you haven't bored us! It is great to read how others are progressing.

Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[tammyg]

Lovely to hear it is going well. It's good to read about what really happens in these sessions, nice to hear you had a bit of a laugh too.

Thanks for the update

Tam x

[tracyp584]

Hey Elaine,

Glad to hear you are getting on well with CBT. I too am having CBT and i'm on my fourth session. I recognize a lot of the things you listed!

I have to say i never thought i would of made as much progress as i have in 4 weeks, but as you must know, it really helps you look at things in a different perspective.

Take care,

tracy x x

[pips]

Glad to see it's going well Elaine,

I can definately empathize with some of your points hun!

Thanks for posting.

Take Care,

Love PIP'S X X

[Elaine1]

Update - 3rd Session Yesterday!

Another great session, went through diary - discussed the 2 interesting entries of the week - how I coped or not!! Looking back on them now - totally ridiculous, but at the time - the world was ending - normality had gone out of the window.

Something that came out of the diary was how much I was doing each week - I think I am currently being lazy, to how I was. He suggested that I was probably not, but perhaps in the past I was expecting too much of myself and may be now my body is calling time out - which is why I could be struggling with things - so one piece of homework (in addition to diary and mood sheets) is to keep a day by day log of what I do hour by hour for us to review next week!

Discussed list of things outside comfort zone - couple of which I had began to tackle on my own - so progress there and he set a couple of small challenges for the week ahead. Try to do food shopping on own and try to go for short walk on own! Things recently I have done with hubby, as I have been so anxious, but in the past have always done on my own! Sounds easy - ha ha Well sounds easy when you type it!

The last bit of homework and by far the most difficult is a 'Thought Record'. This is to tackle a negative situation and improve my thought process in dealing with it, so more paper with columns:

1) Situation
2) Moods (What do you feel - rate each mood 0 - 100%)
3) Automatic Thoughts (Images) and from that a Hot Thought
4) Evidence that supports the Hot Thought
5) Evidence that does not support the Hot Thought
6) Alternative/Balanced Thoughts
7) Rate Moods Now (moods listed in 2 with % now)

1 - 4 is apparently quite straight forward, but the real challenging bit is 5 - 7, but what you hopefully see is a drop in percentage in column 7 compared with column 2. A challenging week ahead.

I have to say that I am really enjoying the sessions and really laughed alot, but felt exhausted when I got home!!

Has anyone else done a 'Thought Record', if so, how did you find it?

Thanks for reading!

Elaine

[tammyg]

Hi Elaine,

its lovely to follow your progress through the sessions.

*Something that came out of the diary was how much I was doing each week - I think I am currently being lazy, to how I was. He suggested that I was probably not, but perhaps in the past I was expecting too much of myself *
It is strange how we perceive ourselves and how different this is to how others see us.

The thought record sounds like it could be really useful. Anything that can help change our negative thoughts has to be worth a try. You have explained it so well that I might give it a try myself - thanks!!

Tam x

[SB]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Update - 3rd Session Yesterday!

The last bit of homework and by far the most difficult is a 'Thought Record'. This is to tackle a negative situation and improve my thought process in dealing with it, so more paper with columns:

Has anyone else done a 'Thought Record', if so, how did you find it?

Thanks for reading!

Elaine

Hi Elaine,
It sounds like you are doing great work on yourself. Cbt changed my life and it sounds like you are on the same road I'm on. We did a thing like your thought record in my group but it was called a TEA form from the book by Sam Obitz which only had three columns -Thought-Error-Analysis- it was tough to do at first but it helped me a great deal and continues to help me. It does get easier and easier to use with practice. Keep up the good work!









<div align="right">Originally posted by Elaine1 - 30 September 2005 : 16:39:40</div id="right">
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[Elaine1]

4th Session on Thursday.

By far the most difficult session so far!!

Reviewed my diary, mood sheets, lists out of the comfort zone - all good stuff.

Discussed the Thought Record sheet I had done - got it right, so gold star for me, but all joking apart, the exercise worked and it was easier than I thought! So will repeat when I have a crisis.

My diary of what I do, hour by hour, was fine. We discussed various bits about it and moderation etc. I have to leave it for a week, but will repeat it again when I've gone back to work.

This is another positive thing, I am going back to work next week, but on slightly reduced hours. We discussed this and felt that it was the next logical move!

Then it got difficult!

I was asked what my core belief was!

Went very quiet and talked far more softly - he had got me - the crunch!

All the laughing and joking, set aside - the nitty gritty.

So out come the words, 'I'm not good enough' We both already knew what I would say, but knowing and saying, two different things!

Then relevant childhood data, followed by conditional assumptions/beliefs/rules and compensatory strageries and from this, how it applies to difficult situations.

It was all there - it is so easy when you put it on paper, you can see how you got there and really, why behaviour like this happens time and again.

So, I now know what there is to chip away at, to change my core belief.

I will do this and I have total faith in these sessions, but 'core beliefs' was always going to be so very difficult.

At the end of the day, as I see it, no matter what anybody family, friends or indeed strangers say to you, about how they perceive you, unless you see yourself in a different light, there the problem remains.

I may have known my core belief for a very long time, but I have now discussed it, and it is out in the open for everyone! So again, major step in the right direction.

I wouldn't want what I have said here today to put anyone off, as I truely feel this is doing me the world of good. Sometimes you have to visit uncomfortable feelings to move forward.

On a positive note, we discussed my progress so far and my therapist felt it was huge. I am challenging my thought process all the time, my depression and symptom scores and now well in the realms of normal (what ever normal is LOL) and my symptoms of anxiety are getting less, so it is definately worth it!

and for most of the session, it was very relaxed with laughter - I like laughter!!

Here's looking forward to next week!

Thanks for reading!

Elaine

[Karen]

Hi Elaine

Sounds like the therapy is going really well and you are making excellent progress. Even though parts of it are difficult and challenging, you are getting there.

Great that you are feeling reading to return to work too. This is excellent and I hope all goes well for you next week.

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">At the end of the day, as I see it, no matter what anybody family, friends or indeed strangers say to you, about how they perceive you, unless you see yourself in a different light, there the problem remains.<div align="right">Originally posted by Elaine1 - 08 October 2005 : 08:00:51</div id="right">
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This is so true and is a problem I have too. One of my core beliefs too is that I am not good enough and it doesn't matter what anyone says to challenge this, as I'm not able to believe it.

It sounds like you are ready to face up to this challenge though and I am sure you will get there.

Well done Elaine!

Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[tammyg]

Hi Elaine,

Lovely to catch up with how the sessions are going. The thought record really does work... and it's so simple, who would have thought it!

Talking about beliefs and issues can be very difficult, but you are right - it is definately the way forward. Now you know exactly what you are dealing with you can work on it in a more focused way. Well done on knowing exactly what your core belief was and being so positive in looking to dealing with it.

Keep challenging those thoughts and good luck at work this week.

Take care.

Tammy x