1st CBT session today

[Fern]

Today at 1400 hours I will be embarking on my CBT journey

I will come back later with a summary of what happened and continue to keep you all updated with the process as it unfolds.

The follow up story to the young woman with agoraphobia was on BBC Breakfast news this morning and again the treatment that they are offering her is CBT. They say they will have her out of the house in 3 months, baring in mind she has been inside for 2 years!

So I am positive about today's session!

[snooze]

Best of luck! Hope it goes well.

[Fern]

Thanks Snooze! So Iv been to the first session. Not a lot to report really as it was just laying the foundations.
We pretty much just talked about who I am, what my family is like and all of the significant events in my life. I guess he's just getting all the info together to start a program off!

Feel good, will keep you posted after next session!

[TheInbetweener]

Well done mate. Started mine about 9weeks ago, worth doing! Keep an open mind and you might pick up some things. The first session is like how you said, just gathering background, its alot more practical and visual after that, mine has been anyways.

[Fern]

Cheers mate, how are you now then after 9 weeks of therapy?

[TheInbetweener]

Its helpful mate. Its no miracle cure or anything, but its challenging and thats what I need. I went into it knowing nothing, which I think is a good tactic, as there seems to be people either saying its amazing or useless so wanted to make my own mind up. The way I look at it is ive taken a few things from it already and it has helped a wee bit atleast, and although the problems arnt fixed yet, and im sure ill be doing it for awhile yet, even the odd thing here or there is beter than what I started with and I do have faith I kind take more from it.

Im hoping at some point it all kind of clicks into place and I take enough away to keep in everyday life, as its easy sometimes to go home and forget to do the things you have talked about in the session.

[Cespenar]

I'd be interested to know how much benefit people attribute to the general therapy of talking things out with a trained, objective mind that is (presumably) a part of CBT versus the CBT specific techniques themselves? I've never done any kind of therapy so I don't know where the line is drawn though.

[Ben85]

Good on you Fern for giving CBT a try. I think its definitely a good thing to have the help of a qualified therapist when you're first starting out. When I first found out I had SA I was lucky enough to get therapy on the NHS, but I wasted the oppertunity because I was so unmotivated at the time. If I'd stuck with it I'm sure I would have made a lot of progress. Its certainly possible to get better doing CBT on your own, but I'll bet you can make progress faster with a therapist there to guide you. I wish you the best of luck with it. Do let us know how you get on as the sessions go by.

[Fern]

Hey guys thought id update you all on the CBT Iv been receiving. Iv been for a few sessions and we've just gone over what the issues are and where I feel they have come from. I was then asked to keep a thought diary of my week so we could review it at the next session.
Your thoughts and behaviors really do become apparent when you keep a diary, so it makes it easier to identify and tackle the problems.
It was clear to see that conversation and my negative thoughts surrounding conversation, was causing big problems for me. My therapist then gave me a sheet to work through when ever Id be in a social situation. I had to write down initial thoughts, what I felt emotionally, what it meant about the situation and what it meant about me.
In the next session we worked on the second half of the sheet, which is where we started to challenge the negative thoughts and create doubt! If I started out feeling 80% anxious before I went into the interaction, after working through the second half of the sheet the anxiety and thoughts surrounding the interaction came right down to around 25%. So I am continuing to work through the sheet by myself until I can get it to be second nature.
After this my therapist asked me to do some more homework, which was reading out loud to my family from a book and then having a discussion about it.
At first of course I was anxious and I found it quite funny that a 25 year old has to read to his parents for homework, but, I don't care. If this is one of the steps to getting better, then I will do it. And yes Iv put it off until tonight, just under a week since the homework was set, but I have done it and its the first block of the foundation. Yay ha ha

I think working with a therapist helps no end, I don;t think Id get things done if I didn't have to go back with results. Its also nice to have someone else telling you what deep down you know, but your negative mind is telling you otherwise.

Reach out and get help people, I can see its helping me already.

Sorry for the scatty English, hope this is of some interest to you guys.