How does therapy or CBT help you feel better?

[Trickymoments]

I've seen several counsellors over the years & had some CBT sessions in a group. I found the CBT to be the most useful as it gave me practical ideas to use but after a while I just slipped back into my old worrying ways.

My GP has referred me for some more sessions but I'm wondering if they will ever help me with my anxiety in the long term.

Surely if you have an anxious personality it is very hard to change that and suddenly become a non anxious person. I have found myself full of hope & positivity when I've been to counselling in the past but then something will happens & I fall to pieces again.

Does anyone know what I mean? Has anyone really benefitted from CBT or counselling?

I just wish I could live my life free from this permanent feeling of anxiety about everything. I feel like life is passing me by.

[gandalf456]

I hear you and I've found that true, too. I had CBT a couple of years ago. I didn't feel it helped at the time but find myself stopping myself if anxious thoughts creep in. It doesn't always work and I don't catch them all but I am better, I think.

Saying that, I didn't make all the major life changes I had intended to and there are still things that are beyond my control which cause me anxiety, too.

To an extent, I think it is part of my personality and probably inherited.

[Trickymoments]

Thanks gandalf, it's hard isn't it.
I'm not even really sure what CBT is meant to do. I just know I preferred it to counselling where I felt like all I did each week was moan about my life. I got fed up of talking about it & the counsellor probably did too!!

[gandalf456]

I hated normal counselling and I thought I'd like it but ended up leaving after 2 sessions. I don't know if it were me or the counsellor but the one I had was trying to get me to fix things where I just wanted to talk. Then I ended up feeling a bit uncomfortable and found it harder to think up things to say. He felt I needed medication but if I'd wanted to go down that route, I would have just gone to my GP and got some tablets, which is something I didn't really want to do and I still haven't and I am still alive!

CBT was very structured and was about setting goals for yourself. They could be big or small and you had to decide what the main problem was. I think, if I could do it again, I would really be honest and focus on the main problem rather than being a bit airy fairy and going off at tangents with all the little problems.

I did have a very young counsellor, which sort of put me off but when I tried with the regular counsellor, he was older and I realised that, actually, she was pretty good and very enthusiastic.

[Trickymoments]

That's helpful gandalf thank you. You've done really well managing to cope without medication.
I don't the medication is doing anything for me so I want to gradually stop but it but I think I'm going to need some support to do it which is why I'm thinking of giving cbt another go.

[laurao12]

I understand what your going through. There is no reason you have to spend any more time with anxiety. I have seen a hypnotherapist in the past and he used a combination of CBT and Hypnotherapy, they work together very well. It's important to find a hypnotherapist who is understanding and sympathetic. I don't know where you are living? I saw Stuart Thompson he is based in Colchester in Essex. I found he was the best choice as he specialises in anxiety treatment. He gives a lot of info on his website: //www.stuarthypnotist.com

[gandalf456]

Glad I had helped. I'm always conscious of blathering on about myself on threads like these. I haven't ruled out medication in the future so there's no need to feel you should not be on it if that's the case

[mountaintoclimb]

I'm a fan of CBT because it challenges negative thought processes by encouraging you to think positively about how to deal with problems you're facing I really don't think that dwelling on the past is good for anyone.

[bluecheque4595]

I had CBT because my presenting problem was that as a young person I was abused by a family friend and consequently I have always responded with fear to anyone touching me. Took me ages to let dh touch me in an affectionate way and even still, if my husband or kids sneak up on me and touch me on the arms/legs, anywhere, I shy away and tell them not to. If I know it is coming I cope better.

CBT helped me see I don't need to apologise for needing personal space and I am now much better at rationalising my fear. I know I am much better than I was with this fear, because I have appointments now with a chiropractor which involves being touched and moved around, and I cope very well with this. I have to keep telling myself that he is a professional and he is helping me, but I do not feel any anxiety, in fact I enjoy visits.