CBT Update.

[jonathan123 2368]

My fourth session is over and I must say how well it is going.  I must admit to being sceptical at first, especially as it is all free, but it is not on the cheap, far from it. The guy who is my counsellor has a Phd in psychology and knows his stuff. I can contact him at any time and the answers come back within the hour. There is fair bit of homework but that is OK as it sharpens the old brain and makes you think about the whys and wherefores. It is a private company that runs it and they do a lot of private therapy work and psychology testing etc. But why look a gift horse in the mouth! I would strongly suggest that anyone in the UK has a look at it. It is free on the NHS, but that does not mean it is on the cheap, far from it. Why do we doubt when something is offered free? Suspicious old lot we are!    Jon.

 

www.psychologyonline.co.uk

[Gilly 1086]

Very happy for you Jon, I knew you would have success with CBT, I know it is early days but having done it myself and knowing how you would be up for the challenge I had good faith it would work well for you. Keep up the good work my friend  

[kozza 6]

Thanks for the info, will have a look

[Sunnybunny 289]

Great news Jon. I am glad you are finding it helpful. I had a look at the site when you first posted a link. Too bad It's not offered to Canadians!

[HDBobbers 55]

I'd be interested in hearing how this goes... I may be going the route of CBT but i'm extremely skeptical of the "Forcing you into a panic inducing situation and forcing you to deal with it" mentality.  

 

Kind of feeling like it isnt worth my time.

[jonathan123 2368]

Hi HD. No, it's not like that at all. No way. It tries to help you restructure your thinking. It shows how we suffer by the way we look at situations. Actually it is a very gentle technique but nevertheless effective. At the root of all anxiety is fear. It shows how to deal with that fear by challenging the thoughts we have; how valid are they and what alternatives are there. I thought I knew most things about the various techniques and have tried some, but this is a good approach to the problem. It may not be for everyone and I was sceptical, but I shall certainly carry on. It's worth a try and, as I said, it is free in the UK so what have I to lose.     Jon.

[Stones345 32]

HD... I was in CBT for 2.5 years and never was I forced into a state of panic. Jon has described the treatment perfectly in the post above and it really may want to be something that you consider. Because of CBT I am here today. The tools that I learned from the therapy are always with me and help me to function daily. Don't rule it out ....

[HDBobbers 55]

Interesting... that's not at all how the doctor described it to me when i was posed with the potential for joining the therapy.  Doctor told me that the goal was to identify the fear and then have you face it and finally over come it through direct injection of the individual into a panic inducing situation.  So, when i asked, "So... you make me panic and force me to deal with it?", I received a nod and he told me that whomever the assigned doctor is would go with me and do whatever it is that we decide to do... a walk, lunch, riding in a car... whatever the panic inducing situation is.

 

I had check-marked it as a complete "no way" in my head because of that description...

[jonathan123 2368]

Oh dear, another knowledgeable professional. . Where do they come from. He is talking about Behaviourism, a totally different thing to CBT and something I am dead against. I agree with you; how off putting can you get. Confronting some poor soul in the middle of anxiety with the prospect of going into a store and bringing on anxiety deliberately fills me with horror.  Talk about masochistic! No need for that at all. You can look up CBT on the web and there are some good explanations of it there. I actually look forward to my sessions now. No wonder Dr. Weekes fell out with her psychiatric colleagues!     Jon.

[HDBobbers 55]

K... i'm going to have to read up on CBT then, because once again, i guess i can't trust doctors.

 

Thank you for the heads up, Jon.

[Sunnybunny 289]

Just chiming in to second what Jon is saying.  From what I understand CBT is a relatively new treatment method - or at least professionals have made a lot of strides in this discipline in the last number of years.  It most definitely is not about forcing one into an anxious/panic position but is about helping us to restructure the way we think or perceive situations.  Essentially we can alter our thought patterns.

 

Only yesterday I listened to a podcast about the different therapies available to those with anxiety and panic.  The doctor was from a university in Boston and he said that the methods where a patient is "desensitized" through exposures to panic was at one time quite common but is outdated and has not been shown to be overly effective.

 

I will see if I can still find the podcast and perhaps post a link to it here.

[jonathan123 2368]

I do think that Behaviourism may have its place in mild cases of aversions. For instance, someone who fears dogs could be helped by a gradual introduction to different friendly dogs and eventually lose the fear. But panic and full blown anxiety are a very different matter. To bring on more anxiety by putting yourself deliberately into a panic mode seems like pouring on oil to put out a fire. When Dr. Weekes talks about recovery lying in the places you fear she is not saying deliberately go and do it. Oh no. She says do it gradually, slowly. The front gate; the corner shop; the bus; the supermarket. Jumping in the deep end means you could drown!!!    Be interested if you can find that Sunny.       Jon.