CBT

[bassists_kick_ass]

Hello

I started CBT a few weeks ago for social anxiety. I've had 2 sessions and the main thing I'm being told is to be aware of, and try to stop, my avoiding strategies when I'm faced with a social situation. I've tried it in the few opportunities I've had and I feel a lot more relaxed and calm. I'm just hoping that this carries on... I've tried different techniques in the past and non of them have stuck. It seems that as soon as the sessions with the group/therapist have finished, I slip back into old ways. It's like I need someone to keep reminding me almost, to keep me going. I find it's not so bad trying techniques out to help yourself when you're seeing someone regularly to talk about it, but once that's gone, knowing that you're on your own with it and struggling with it for the rest of your life is tough. Anyone else feel like this? Anyone have anything positive to say about it? :/

Jenny xxx

[smiler]

i would love to do cbt

keep having it promised never been refered

i have heard many possitive things about cbt

and the out comes are often positive

good luck i hope it works out well for you

huge hugs

[Lorien]

Is it graded exposure???

I started this in about January and the psychologist has just said 12 more sessions is ok. Im not sure that any of the stuff he started with was helpful but it is a lot more now - or at least it feels it. The continually going on about not avoiding stuff sounds VERY familiar. Do you think you ever got to why things were like that? I dont know about you but I feel like if I dont work out what starts it it will just carry on. Are you finding that you are able to talk stuff through properly with them or just going through the motions?

[bassists_kick_ass]

Thank you Smiler

Lorien, I don't think it's graded exposure as such... I've been told to just be aware of my avoiding strategies and alter them where I feel I can. I already knew why I am the way I am because I had my allocated 3 sessions with a counsellor at university. That was useful in helping me to work out WHY but didn't give me a way forward. I briefly told this psychologist last week for her understanding rather than mine. I'm finding that there's a little bit of leeway to talk about my thoughts, feelings, opinions etc. but for the most part I do feel like my sessions are very structured, with questions being sometimes quite 'closed' in the sense that I know she's wanting me to say a certain thing. On one hand, I like that she's got a clear route forward for me, but on the other hand, I actually said to her 'fine, if that's the way you want to phrase it' because she wasn't getting that what I said was the same as what she was saying, we were just saying it in a different way and she wouldn't accept my phrasing. So, positives and negatives in it being so structured I think. I'm finding writing down how your thoughts and behaviours are linked in a cycle really useful, and exactly how changing behaviours can drastically help thoughts. So I think it's working xx

[Terri]

I had CBT and found it really helpful. I think what was really important, for me, was the "homework" I was given to do between sessions (I had sessions every two weeks). I was given worksheets so the stuff outside therapy was still structured, but I was able to apply what I'd learned to real life situations close to when they happened, instead of just working from things that had happened in the past.


I finished my CBT a bit less than 2 years ago and I still find it helpful. I have a folder with all of my stuff in and try to look back at it when my self-esteem takes a dip. It's hard going sometimes, but it is useful and, though my automatic negative thoughts about myself are still there, I'm able to counter them much more easily than I could before CBT.


Good luck with it.

[Lorien]

sounds like it might be a good plan to tell them about how it feels that things are really closed and that you feel like they are just trying to get you to say something specific. I have talked to quite a few different people in that context and haven't had that experience. if anything i have had the opposite. Maybe they are not aware that it feels like that. im glad you're finding it helpful.

[smuge]

sorry dont have anything positive to say about c.b.t. as it didnt work for me not saying it wont for u though. :doggy: