Cbt?

[SoulSeeker]

Hey

I was just looking for some advice from those who have experienced CBT. I'm putting more and more thought in to paying for this therapy, but i'm still not sure whether it's the right therapy for my current situation.

1. Never left the house (other than work and back) for the last 5-6 years. This includes avoiding everything from shops to family get togethers. Also, when i'm home, i spend all of my time in my room.

2. Feel stressed, anxious and extremely self conscious in every social conversation/situation. Doesn't matter if it's my dad or a stranger, it's the same every single time.

3. Fear bumping in to people who last seen me before i showed any symptoms whatsoever of what i'm going through. This includes, what were... really close friends whome i used to go drinking with around 6 years ago. Also, i keep telling myself i could never sit in a pub and enjoy a pint and a game of pool again..one of the things i used to love doing.

4. Never ever speak to the opposite sex...never used to be a problem...big problem now!

That's as much as i can think of at the moment, so guys and gals..do you think CBT would be the correct approach?

All's i want to achieve is calmness in a social situation/conversation. I don't care if i'm the boring bast*ard sitting on his own with no stories to tell. If i can stay calm and hold a conversation, i know this will open up opportunities for me. This to me seems impossible at the moment.

I would really like to hear peoples experiences regarding CBT, what do you do in the first session, mid way through, near the end etc?

ps, posts like this one would proberly be embarrassing to post for some, but i really don't care anymore...that's why my pic is in my avatar. Although, i really don't mean to bore people with them, as i do tend to repeat myself a lot.

[Left Behind]

i have very similar symptoms and yesterday my GP advised me to have CBT after Christmas, i think it should help, if i was in your position i would pay for it but then again i have never had therapy so its not really an informed opinion.

[quake4]

Hi SoulSeekers,
First of all I'd like to say that congitive therapy does sound like a bit of a drag doesn't it? All that reading and writing sheesh I'd rather be watching television.
However not much in this life comes easy. After a couple of years and spending thousands of my parents dollars I've become convinced that cbt is one of the most powerful ways of combating problems with sa. It's in my view the most powerful way without involving medication.
I'm sure you allready know the basics of cbt, but incase you havn't heres a super brief summary. Cbt changes the way u feel by changing the way u think. It's not a magic pill that will make all your problems go away but rather it has a cumulative effect where the more effort and time u put into it the more reward you will get from it. Don't expect to be singing it's praises after a few months, but after a few years you will be hooked, that is if you have the determination and persistance to keep going for that long, most people quit early on.
My advice is to read a couple of easy going books on cbt and see a psychologist and get him to teach you about it, then if you can do it for 20 min's or so most days you will be sailing free.
When I first heard about cbt i thought, man what crap this ain't going to help me, gimme some of the strong drugs doctor.. but infact it has helped to reduce a lot of my anxiety and learn to like myself for who i am.
At the first session they will probably teach you that mood, actions and thoughts are all interconnected.. Which leads on to the core of cbt, identifying your negative internal chatter, or automatic thoughts and replacing them with realistic and encouraging ones...
There aren't many things that can help with sa, but this is one of the best, it can sort out all the distorted psychological crap in your brain and get you thinking and feeling normal again
If you have any questions feel free to ask

[hardy]

I had some CBT and would recomend it as well worth having .One of the best therapies for SA I believe.

"All's i want to achieve is calmness in a social situation/conversation. I don't care if i'm the boring bast*ard sitting on his own with no stories to tell. If i can stay calm and hold a conversation, i know this will open up opportunities for me. This to me seems impossible at the moment."

before CBT (one to one with therapist and self therapy) I often could not do what you describe above . Now I usually can.

Hey

I haven't actually started CBT yet, but I think it could help to tackle the problems you described.

I looked into having CBT done privately a couple of months ago because I didn't fancy waiting 7 months on the NHS. I don't know if you've looked into the cost yet, but the cheapest I found was £50 a session and the most expensive £90 a session.

I'm now going with the NHS. When I mentioned the name of the private CBT therapist I'd found to my Doctor, she said she was glad that I hadn't gone because she'd heard a few things about him that weren't very favourable.

If you're thinking of going private because you don't want to wait on the NHS, I suggest you ask your GP to recommend one for you - someone who has experience of CBT in relation to SA and not just Arachnophobia or something.

Also, I was originally told I might have to wait up to 7 months to 1 year for CBT, and it's turned out to be less than 2 months.

Good luck