Cognitive behaviour therapy

[SelfCentered]

Anyone have any opinions on this?

 

I've always suffered from anxiety and some OCD. That, in conjunction with a bad breakup, has made me feel awful this past month and also made me want to readdress my life.

 

I saw our family doctor- a lovely, kind woman- a few weeks ago. She spoke to me for a good 20 minutes and said I sound like somebody that would benefit from Cognitive behaviour therapy. She also prescribed me some mild Diazepam to get me through the next few weeks, and I'm due to go back to see her a week on Friday for a follow-up session. She said she may refer me to a therapist/counsellor, which I said I'm open to do.

 

The drugs help but I know they can only really be a short term solution.

 

The therapy might be good but again, it isn't something I can use all the time and will probably cost me a fair bit.

 

I went out and bought what I think is a pretty reputable book on cognitive behaviour therapy over the weekend. It seems quite sound- as far as I know. I'm about halfway through and already applying some of the practices to my life.

 

But yeah...Any thoughts on it?

[Feelin Frisky]

Diazepam a/k/a Valium is not a contemporary approach to your kind of situation. It's a martini in a pill. CBT is talk therapy and that can either help or be a frustration because they spend so much time making you wait for the next appointment and then spending some of it refreshing their minds of what your issues are. I actually would leave the office and go to a bar at one point a long time ago because I'd just be getting to the meat and potatoes of my issue and the dude would tap his watch and say "we have to end for now". That therapy was not therapeutic and instead a trigger. But that was just my particular experience. You'd probably best be served by one or more of the latest class of SSRI anti-depressants and some CBT that works along with medication. You don't want sedatives--you want something that is gong to help you see yourself more clearly and choose your feelings rather than be subject to them. And you don't want a CBT therapist who is a "purist" who thinks all things can be solved by reason and resists medication. There are a lot of those kind of people out there and they are wrong. A lot of these things are chemical in nature and when you treat the chemistry, what once seemed a crisis becomes but a drop pf water to roll off your feathers. Good luck.

Edited December 5, 2011 by Feelin Frisky

[whichwayisup]

CBT is great. I'm livin proof of this!

 

I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, well used to.. CBT taught me how to handle my anxiety, face fears and take control back. Much of anxiety is physical symptoms and once you learn not to be scared of it, you control it instead of it controlling you, life gets better.

 

The talk therapy part of it is so helpful..Understanding and learning about yourself, having techniques to cope and handle anxiety, breathing and meditation, exposure therapy (at your comfort level) to slowly 'unlearn' learned behaviour, avoidance behaviour etc.. So much of anxiety is in our minds and our bodies react to it.

 

A good therapist (CBT) will not just push meds, I know mine said meds was a LAST resort, she preferred to make me face my issues and fears head on, rather than just take pills and go on with life. I never took meds and because of that, my road to feeling good again may have taken longer but I believe I'm better off because I learned how to cope with everything without having to rely on a chemical medication.

 

Once you find a T (therapist) that you connect with and can trust, therapy is great. My motto is, what you put into it is what you get out of it.

[whichwayisup]

And you don't want a CBT therapist who is a "purist" who thinks all things can be solved by reason and resists medication. There are a lot of those kind of people out there and they are wrong. A lot of these things are chemical in nature and when you treat the chemistry, what once seemed a crisis becomes but a drop pf water to roll off your feathers. Good luck.

 

Will add, that if a T truly feels their client needs meds, of course, take them! IF my T told me I did needs meds then I would've taken them. I guess it depends on the severity of the anxiety, or depression or OCD. Some types one has to be on meds to cope and function better. But, with me (and everybody is different) I didn't need meds to work through my anxiety.

[KathyM]

Anyone have any opinions on this?

 

I've always suffered from anxiety and some OCD. That, in conjunction with a bad breakup, has made me feel awful this past month and also made me want to readdress my life.

 

I saw our family doctor- a lovely, kind woman- a few weeks ago. She spoke to me for a good 20 minutes and said I sound like somebody that would benefit from Cognitive behaviour therapy. She also prescribed me some mild Diazepam to get me through the next few weeks, and I'm due to go back to see her a week on Friday for a follow-up session. She said she may refer me to a therapist/counsellor, which I said I'm open to do.

 

The drugs help but I know they can only really be a short term solution.

 

The therapy might be good but again, it isn't something I can use all the time and will probably cost me a fair bit.

 

I went out and bought what I think is a pretty reputable book on cognitive behaviour therapy over the weekend. It seems quite sound- as far as I know. I'm about halfway through and already applying some of the practices to my life.

 

But yeah...Any thoughts on it?

CBT is one of the most effective forms of therapy out there. Many therapists use that exclusively in their practice. It is very results-oriented and is usually meant to be short term, as oposed to other forms of therapy. It's especially useful for anxiety disorders and OCD. Empiracle studies show that it is often very effective in changing dysfunctional behavior and dysfunctional thinking patterns.

[SelfCentered]

Thank you for the feedback!

 

I've seen how it can work personally. My father used it/uses it after a bout of depression caused by lifelong anxiety and problems at work. He was the one who recommended it to me, then the doctor confirmed it.

 

I know it's not a magic, quick fix and I am prepared to spend time on myself to remedy my problems and manage myself better.

 

I should add regarding the drugs: The doctor gave me them because the stress of recent things in my life- work and my ex- caused me to become completely overwhelmed. One point when I knew it was a problem was when I couldn't stand in a shower and could only sit there in worry. They're mild, and have helped calm me down a lot during occasions where I could feel myself slipping.

 

But I've said from the start that they're only short term thing. After my current batch run out, I'm going to be done- unless my doctor or future therapist recommends otherwise.

 

As far as I'm concerned, this needs to be a "rewire my brain" process, long-term thing. I've had these problems for years, but the way they manifested these past few months have scared me. My dad lived his life with the same problems and it almost caused him to have a complete meltdown in his fifties. I don't want that to happen to me. I want to sort it out now.

 

I hope this can be as useful for me as it has been for you whichwayisup!

 

Many thanks for replying

[cerridwen]

Anyone have any opinions on this?

 

I've always suffered from anxiety and some OCD. That, in conjunction with a bad breakup, has made me feel awful this past month and also made me want to readdress my life.

 

I saw our family doctor- a lovely, kind woman- a few weeks ago. She spoke to me for a good 20 minutes and said I sound like somebody that would benefit from Cognitive behaviour therapy. She also prescribed me some mild Diazepam to get me through the next few weeks, and I'm due to go back to see her a week on Friday for a follow-up session. She said she may refer me to a therapist/counsellor, which I said I'm open to do.

 

The drugs help but I know they can only really be a short term solution.

 

The therapy might be good but again, it isn't something I can use all the time and will probably cost me a fair bit.

 

I went out and bought what I think is a pretty reputable book on cognitive behaviour therapy over the weekend. It seems quite sound- as far as I know. I'm about halfway through and already applying some of the practices to my life.

But yeah...Any thoughts on it?

 

Good for you for tackling this head-on.

What book did you purchase?

 

The Feeling Good Handbook is often recommended.

David Burns is a huge name in the field of CBT and he authored the above title.

 

For a more clinical perspective, try Aaron Beck who developed the model of Cognitive Therapy and can give insight into handling the depression.

My step-sister has OCD and an anxiety disorder.

She found both authors helpful.

 

Also, have you hunted the Internet for free therapy in your area (or at least sliding scale fees)?

It is sometimes available.

Talented students working toward their licensing as professional therapists are sometimes available.

They are at the end of their education and putting in hours seeing clients as a requirement.

[SelfCentered]

Good for you for tackling this head-on.

What book did you purchase?

 

The Feeling Good Handbook is often recommended.

David Burns is a huge name in the field of CBT and he authored the above title.

 

For a more clinical perspective, try Aaron Beck who developed the model of Cognitive Therapy and can give insight into handling the depression.

My step-sister has OCD and an anxiety disorder.

She found both authors helpful.

 

Also, have you hunted the Internet for free therapy in your area (or at least sliding scale fees)?

It is sometimes available.

Talented students working toward their licensing as professional therapists are sometimes available.

They are at the end of their education and putting in hours seeing clients as a requirement.

 

Thank you for the suggestions!

 

The one I picked up was "Overcoming Anxiety" by Helen Kennerley.

 

I anticipated that (as with more self-help guides) there is a lot of BS material out there looking to cash in on people's insecurities. I chose this one based on the merits of the author and the other academics who contribute to the introduction.

 

I also work in publishing and the publisher for this title is one I know quite well.

 

I'll definitely look into the other names too.

 

I've been told there is support out there that won't be too costly. My dad said he wouldn't have gone if it had cost too much- we're not made of money after all.

 

Thanks for the input. I have to admit, one part of me felt as a young (23) year old I shouldn't be dealing with this sort of thing, and also as a man I shouldn't be so..."emotional" I guess. An old-fashioned attitude that thankfully seems to be disappearing from modern medicine and society, but can still creep into one's mind.

 

Good to hear feedback.

Edited December 5, 2011 by SelfCentered