CBT making things worse!!

[blueangel]

This is quite interesting, as I'm going to see someone next week with a view to having some CBT (privately; I'll wait for ever if I try on the NHS!). Wonder if I'll get worse before I get better? However, I suspect some things will be much easier to sort out than others, so I'll keep everybody posted.

[daybyday]

It is a breakthrough when we come face to face with our root causes. No one like to see those things. But it is part of the walk out process.
Having the right therapist and someone who loves you, sincerely wants you well and is willing to hear you out, really helps.
I am still in process.
Mine were under that rug for years. Some were simply I couldn't see it, others I wanted my own way. Pride.
I think I just got tired of tripping over all those bumps of 'stuff' under there. It was time to pick up that rug and do a deep cleaning. My, oh, my what I found there.

[trooper]

@jody. Are you writing it down in the format?

I think its quite important to actually put pen to paper, there is something theraputic in putting it down on paper. Its almost as if you're taking out of the loop in your end and down out of your mind. And obvously you have to go through the process, you start with the automatic thoughts, but then you look for the evidence for and against, and the rationalised interpretations etc etc

Don't do what I did and just stop at the automatic thoughts, the idea is to identify the fact that when you're anxious, quite often you focus on negative or worse case scenarios. And often times, when you go through the process you can see there are other interpretations than the negative ones when you look at the evidence for and against the thoughts you're having.

Over time, doing this regularly you start to challenge and break down some of the negative patterns / triggers of thoughts..

CBT more than any other treatment has clinical proof that it has a positive effect with anxiety and panic etc so it is worth giving it some time and effort, even if at first it makes you worse.

[xfilme]

i totally agree with trooper. thats what i did. i wrote everything down. theres an awesome CBT book called "Overcoming Anxiety - A five areas approach" by Chris Williams. Usually they give you a book prescription to pick up from your local library when you have CBT (they did me anyway). Its a workbook (about an inch thick) that you have to fill in to understand fully the principle of applying CBT. Might be worth you checking it out. x