CBT a bit wary

[Cat80]

Have my first CBT assessment this Wednesday just to see if it's the right thing for me then I start the CBT next week if it is. The thing is I am so wary of it. I've read so many bad things for it and saying it's rubbish in helping anxiety etc. Also I have emetophobia which I am NOT telling the CBT therapist about as I don't want to do exposure therapy even though that is where most of my anxiety comes from.

I saw a counsellor for 18 months and she taught me muscle relaxation, breathing exercise, turning negative thoughts into positive ones etc and I got nothing from doing it so don't see how full on CBT is going to help (my counsellor had just done a CBT course so could give me a bit of it).

Really scared and feel so sick thinking about Wednesday

[NoPoet]

CBT is one of the BEST therapies for anxiety. Doing a bit of a CBT course is not the same as doing a full course. CBT is a solution for long-term recovery and needs to be worked hard at. Don't fret, in the long run CBT will do a lot more for anxiety than counselling.

[Cat80]

Thanks psychopoet. DO you know how long CBT usuallu lasts for or is it different for everyone?

[xfilme]

Do not be afraid. My only suggestion is to realise that many people who do not get along with CBT are also sceptical. This is mainly due to the fact that they have no belief in CBT because of "what they've heard". Have you never liked something that others say is bad? As with most things, the only people who usually speak out are the ones who are angry with something to say. In the same way that businesses have a complaints line but not one for compliments. What have you got to lose? I would go for it wholeheartedly and NOT hold anything back. Fair enough, they may suggest some kind of exposure therapy at some point, I dont know, but what do you think they will do? make you throw up? I dont think so. CBT tends to challenge your preconceptions about situations. More than likely her way to help you with the emetophobia would be to ask questions like "What would be so bad if you were to be sick?" and investigate how you formed your assumptions and way of thinking. CBT is much like Hypnotherapy. It you doubt it, that doubt will prevent you from making progress. CBT counsellors have nothing to gain from it as they are there to help YOU, so in effect your scepticism can only be self defeating.

[Cat80]

I've had 2 sessions now and we have decided to focus on my fear of vomiting and see if that helps ease the anxiety. I don't know how she's going to change my fear of being sick, it's been with me since I was 12 so telling me to change negative thoughts into positive isn't going to work as I know what the worse that can happen can be.

If she mentions exposure therapy that will be a 100% NO, I won't even think about doing that, not happening. Does anyone know how CBT can help a vomiting phobia? Just don't see how you can stop someones phobia with talk

[xfilme]

I've had 2 sessions now and we have decided to focus on my fear of vomiting and see if that helps ease the anxiety. I don't know how she's going to change my fear of being sick, it's been with me since I was 12 so telling me to change negative thoughts into positive isn't going to work as I know what the worse that can happen can be.

If she mentions exposure therapy that will be a 100% NO, I won't even think about doing that, not happening. Does anyone know how CBT can help a vomiting phobia? Just don't see how you can stop someones phobia with talk

I have a terminal illness phobia. With me she helped sort it out by investigating the thoughts surrounding this fear. To restructure the way I think and to learn that it is a fear that is not particulary likely to come about. I would imagine, with you she will try and identify they way your phobia came about. She may see if there was perhaps an incident that triggered your thought patterns. It may be that your subconscious referrs back to a traumatic memory concerning being sick that she/he can restructure so have less triggers for your anxiety. Another part of CBT is to challenge your preconceptions. But evaluating how many times your fear of sickness had actually led to you being sick. If this is a very rare occurrence then its possible that your fear of sickness is just the assumption you "could be" sick rather than the physicalities of doing it. CBT will help you identify the mental triggers that make you think "what if" and change them so they do not lead you to that same fear. For example, up until I had cbt, i was convinced on a daily basis that i would die in my sleep. CBT helped me look at the situation differently. She pointed out that it has never happened to me once in the past 31 years, so it is more likely that it wont happen than it will. I also suffer from health anxiety and constantly believe that i have a terminal illness. She helped me focus on how likely this was by listing the various suspected illnesses i have had in the past six months and comparing them to how many of them after investigation I actually had. Which was none, so more than likely, the thing that i currently believe is wrong with me is much like all the other illnesses.... non existent. Stick with the CBT. Think of it this way.... if you try it and it doesnt work, then atleast you tried it. If you try it and it does work, then thats fantastic. If you dont try it at all... do you really see your emetaphobia just vanishing without trying anything? I know its hard, but im sure you are treating it as a last change at getting yourself better, just like me. Ive tried everything else. Nothing else works. If cbt is my last resort, im gonna give it everything ive got on the off change i wont spend the rest of my life parylised with fear. x

[kathee]

cbt changed my life x

[justbananas]

i just started CBT and i'm PUMPED. i sat down and told him, MAKE ME FEEL NORMAL AND I WILL LOVE U FOREVER. and he was like .. um, right, ok .. let's get going. hehe.

just wanted to chime in here.

[Ozpanic]

Didnt work for me whatso ever, i will wait for the next Hocus pocus!!,, It made me run on adrenaline and didnt do a thing for me except make me stressed out.

[shotokansho]

I am currently on the waiting list for CBT. I was on the list a few years ago after two years of waiting they wrote to me saying i was still on the list!! I was like "thanks a bunch!"
This time i am refusing medication so i am hoping it will be a bit quicker than 2 years like last time. My support worker is also going to get me some relaxation and massage when the kids go back to school.