[rosehx]

i've had a few sessions of CBT and they basically consist of my counsellor offering me positive alternatives to my thoughts and me stubbornly finding flaws/refuting everything she says. i'm not used to thinking positively.

[Dee Leigh]

*bump*

[caseyhayes]

Can I do CBT alone? I don't want to see anyone at the moment, just give it a try.
Will it work if I haven't had really bad experiences in the past, just suffering from a relapse of mild depression.

[rosehx]

(Original post by caseyhayes)
Can I do CBT alone? I don't want to see anyone at the moment, just give it a try.
Will it work if I haven't had really bad experiences in the past, just suffering from a relapse of mild depression.

yes, it works well as a treatment for mild depression. it's just modifying your negative thought patterns. you can do it alone, but it can be harder without someone to guide you.. before i started CBT with my counsellor i bought a book called brilliant cognitive behavioural therapy.. it did help a bit, but you have to be really motivated and willing to accept new ideas.. something that doesn't come easily to a depressed person.

[KatiePanicPots]

unless you have given your tablets (which you SHOULD be on) a fair go, you have no chance of getting on any list for CBT . It's like mission impossible trying to get onto that list!. If you have given them a fair go it is still PRETTY hard

[caseyhayes]

(Original post by rosehx)
yes, it works well as a treatment for mild depression. it's just modifying your negative thought patterns. you can do it alone, but it can be harder without someone to guide you.. before i started CBT with my counsellor i bought a book called brilliant cognitive behavioural therapy.. it did help a bit, but you have to be really motivated and willing to accept new ideas.. something that doesn't come easily to a depressed person.

Thank you. Anything free and online anyone knows of? Just to get started..

[MittenRef]

It's strange, because I was referred to CBT and after loads of stories I'd heard, I was expecting a fair wait. But 10 days later, I was at my first session...

As for the therapy itself, it has helped me to a degree, and has helped in situations but some anxiety attacks and phases I get are just too strong for a simple change in thought process. Everyone is different. But I am pleased I went, as it had more positive impact than negative!

[The_Lonely_Goatherd]

(Original post by caseyhayes)
Thank you. Anything free and online anyone knows of? Just to get started..

Check out MoodGym. It's free online CBT that you can do at your own pace. Obviously no substitute for the real thing with a therapist, but it's a good place to start

[caseyhayes]

(Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd)
Check out MoodGym. It's free online CBT that you can do at your own pace. Obviously no substitute for the real thing with a therapist, but it's a good place to start

Thank you, looking forward to trying to make a change . Good luck everyone.

[rosehx]

(Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd)
Check out MoodGym. It's free online CBT that you can do at your own pace. Obviously no substitute for the real thing with a therapist, but it's a good place to start

i tried this as well. it was pretty good to get started on cbt, but you definitely need to accompany it with therapy if you want to make any real progress. my therapist uses a combination of therapies including cbt.. i don't think it would work well on its own for me as my negative thought patterns run so deep.. and anyway, negative thoughts aren't the only reason for depression. cbt can only take you so far..

[The Real Quaid]

(Original post by KatiePanicPots)
unless you have given your tablets (which you SHOULD be on) a fair go, you have no chance of getting on any list for CBT . It's like mission impossible trying to get onto that list!. If you have given them a fair go it is still PRETTY hard

This isn't true in my experience. I was given tablets, took them for a month or so, told my GP they didn't work, he referred me to a Specialist, saw the Specialist, she referred me for CBT - though it has taken 3 months for me to get to the top of the waiting list, but I did get there.

(Original post by MittenRef)
It's strange, because I was referred to CBT and after loads of stories I'd heard, I was expecting a fair wait. But 10 days later, I was at my first session...

As for the therapy itself, it has helped me to a degree, and has helped in situations but some anxiety attacks and phases I get are just too strong for a simple change in thought process. Everyone is different. But I am pleased I went, as it had more positive impact than negative!

Are you doing anything further to CBT then? What you've said sounds like how I expect mine to go

[MittenRef]

I'm not on any medication, but I do use the service that provided the CBT, (They're called Step by Step) and ring them up on occasions for support when I needed. Otherwise, I use the techniques I learnt to TRY and overcome problems.

It isn't easy. No one is going to wave a magic wand and make it disappear. Hard work is needed, but if you want to fix it badly enough, you'll work at it.

[Dee Leigh]

(Original post by KatiePanicPots)
unless you have given your tablets (which you SHOULD be on) a fair go, you have no chance of getting on any list for CBT . It's like mission impossible trying to get onto that list!. If you have given them a fair go it is still PRETTY hard

First of all I don't take tablets (I'd rather not). My doctor offered them but I said no.

Secondly I get what your saying, but I guess because of my case my doctor decided to put me down as 'urgent' so that I could been seen soon.

[Dee Leigh]

(Original post by MittenRef)
I'm not on any medication, but I do use the service that provided the CBT, (They're called Step by Step) and ring them up on occasions for support when I needed. Otherwise, I use the techniques I learnt to TRY and overcome problems.

It isn't easy. No one is going to wave a magic wand and make it disappear. Hard work is needed, but if you want to fix it badly enough, you'll work at it.

I understand this. I don't expected to be 'cured', or fixed in an instant. But I am so willing to put in the hard work that is needed to help me overcome my negatives thoughts, and issues and problems in order to live a better life.

[The_Lonely_Goatherd]

(Original post by catzooma)

My one big worry is - what if I'm struggling with paranoia or bipolar or some other condition and CBT is inappropriate because I'm hearing stuff (I don't think I am) and I'm trying to process that with CBT rational and everyone else is just like what the **** you loony. (a lot of them think it's all in my mind)

I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time still on keeping everything on an even a keel as possible.

I'm very confused.

CBT on paranoia should be OK, as it's all about rationalisation.

In my experience of being schizoaffective and hearing voices, there's nothing the CBT can do for that. CBT doesn't work on my voices. Likeliness is that if you were hearing voices, they probably wouldn't pay much attention to the CBT techniques you would be trying to implement on them

[Prince Rhyus]

Self-help CBT has been very emotionally and energy-intensive for me. With an extremely over-active mind (see http://adragonsbestfriend.wordpress..../the-thoughts/ for what 30 mins inside it is like) trying to combat every single negative thought is incredibly draining. However, it can stave off the worst of the thoughts - nipping negative cycles in the bud. But CBT alone isn't enough. Last year I blogged at http://adragonsbestfriend.wordpress....beyond-a-pill/ on some of the other things I was bearing in mind on improving my mental health.

[Anonymous]

I had about 7 or 8 weekly sessions of CBT, and was told that since there were no signs of improvement, there was nothing else they could do for me and stopped seeing me.

Of course there weren't signs of improvement, all they got me to do was fill-in a sleep and mood diary every week. That on its own was completely useless.

[Dee Leigh]

Telephone assessment tomorrow

[Dee Leigh]

Had my telephone assesment today

Was really good it went on for 45 mins and the lady who was lovely asked some questions and we spoke. I said that I definately needed therapy and this was clear to her. She suggested that intensive therapy is what I needed from what I was saying and I agreed, because I know it would benefit me.

It would be difficult for me to have therapy in my local area, especially as I am off to uni soon, so she searched for info on therapy services where I will be studying (Leeds). She has written a letter to my GP, and so I will go to my GP soon to discuss having therapy elsewhere.

[Chumbaniya]

I've had some success at university for social anxiety, but more recently working on some more fundamental problems it seems a bit of an uphill struggle. I feel like everything we talk about in the sessions makes sense and I come away feeling more positive, but I've been able to make very little real progress based on them.

I think one of the main problems is that I'm far too self-aware. For a lot of people, being able to identify negative thought and behaviour patterns is very useful, but I already know exactly what I'm doing all the time anyway so it's very difficult for anyone to tell me something I don't already know, and if knowing it would make things better things would already have been made better.