CBT - My diary

[Munchkin]

Hello everyone,

I’m doing as I promised and keeping a diary of my CBT on here, in the hope it might help others!

Briefly my story is I’m having treatment for a phobia of being ill while I’m out…more specifically being in a place…like a shop or café…anywhere indoors basically. My main fear is fainting or feeling faint,

It seemed to start when I was taken ill in a garden centre (because I also suffer with M.E) and that seemed to trigger the thought that “this could happen again”.

So there you go, that’s where I’m at right now. Yesterday I had my second CBT appointment and so far I’m finding it really helpful. I’ve talked to so many people in the past about my problems, but they’ve never made me think about things the way the CBT seems to be doing.

I’m finding that my psychologist is asking me questions that make me link my thoughts and realise how they come about. I’m personally finding a lot of my current thoughts and fears seem to link all the way back to my childhood.

What I’ve realised is your thoughts seem to be like a domino effect; you push one over and there’s a whole string that follows right back. Of course I’ve always realised that what your thoughts do…its how the brain works, but what I’ve discovered is i’ve actually started linking thoughts I never knew were connected in the first place. I’m also discovering thoughts that I didn’t realise were associated with my problem. It’s like a leap frog of thoughts (if that makes sense?)!

I can elaborate on this and use examples if anyone would like me to, but I don’t want to ramble on too much and bore you all!

I wouldn’t say that CBT is all about looking back to the past…it’s about moving forward. But obviously to do this, you have to realise what started these thoughts in the first place…and with me that goes way back.

At the moment it’s just a lot of talking and letting me work out for myself how some of my earliest thoughts have a role in the problems I have today.

My psychologist is nice, and actually makes me laugh about my thoughts which is important because it helps to take the edge off them.

I will update this when I feel it might help others…and certainly when I move on to actually tackling my fear (that’s going to be hard I know :( ) and any techniques.

Thanks for reading everyone, hope this helps some.

xxxx


"A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

[Alexandra]

Hi Hun

Glad the CBT is going well for you & thanks for sharing how the session went.

Good luck for the next session.

Take Care



Alex

Many People Will Walk
In & Out Of Your Life
But Only True Friends
Will Leave Footprints
In Your Heart

[Karen]

Thanks for sharing Munchkin. Sounds like you are doing well.

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">What I’ve realised is your thoughts seem to be like a domino effect; you push one over and there’s a whole string that follows right back.</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

The domino analagy is a good one. A hypnotherapist I know described it like this and said that panic can be halted by removing one domino, which stops the effect of all the dominoes falling.

So remove one aspect of anxiety and it can halt panic. An example he gave was of a man who emailed him to say that whenever he chewed gum he found the anxiety would abate. When he thought about this he said it made sense physiologically because in the fight or flight response all non essential systems are switched off - including the need to eat. So chewing gum was stimulating saliva production, in turn confusing the subconscious into disbelieving that this was in fact a dangerous situation. If the person could 'eat', even if it was only chewing gum, it could not be a life or death situation.

I've not actually tested the theory myself!

Karen



Happiness is not a state to arrive at but a manner of travelling.

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough ~ Christine Cagney, Cagney & Lacey

[kate]

Glad it's going well, Munchkin.

Kate

"Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same"

[Piglet]

It sounds like it is going really well munchkin.

Nice to be able to bounce your thoughts about like that, out in the open - I'm sure it helps to make some stuff click into place.

Love Piglet xx

[Meg]

Thanks for starting this post, its very useful for others embarking on sessions with a psychologist to understand what may hapen and as we know changing learned and innacurate patterns of belief is crucial



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Munchkin]

Thanks for the support everyone!

Karen, thats an interesting idea about the gum...maybe I will try it! It does make sense.

"A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

[nomorepanic]

Great post and thanks for keeping this going for us. I will add this link to the others I have and look forward to reading the updates soon.

Nicola

[Munchkin]

Well I went again yesterday...it went ok. My psychologist has said I need to start to 'challenge my thoughts'...which I agree with. But it is hard when you've thought that way for so long!

I already understand much more about why I think the way I do...so that has to be a step in the right direction. He's also dropping the price per session slightly for me, which will help.

I'm not sure when he'll start giving me some techniques to use when i'm having to face my fear...? My problem is i'm a pretty complex case!!

I went out today, not part of the therapy (at this point anyway), but just because I wanted to get out. It went ok...although when it came to paying at the tills for some things i'd bought my anxiety went into overdrive because I felt trapped in the situation and couldnt leave if I needed to (silly I know, but i'm sure you guys understand).

Anyway will keep you posted. Thanks for the messages. xxx


"A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

[Karen]

Hi Munchkin

Sounds like you are doing really well. I agree that it is not always easy to challenge the negative thoughts but practising this will help you progress. We are doing this in group CBT at present. Like you, I've had these negative thinking patterns for so many years and I also have a good understanding now of how I have ended up with these issues.

Good on you for going to the shops and for sticking with it. Anxiety and panic does naturally eventually recede if you can stay in the situation. Practising breathing techniques helps.

Have you tried the gum idea?!?

Karen



Happiness is not a state to arrive at but a manner of travelling.

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough ~ Christine Cagney, Cagney & Lacey