CBT on monday, what should i expect

[Lucyellensmum99]

I am due to start a course of CBT on monday, the guy phoned today, he sounded lovely, very posh and softly spoken (why should i care about that ffs? ) and made appointment for monday.

It is to deal wiht my anxiety issues. Long story short: PND/situational depression/anxiety. I took ADs and had "traditional counselling" the ADs seemed to work, the traditional counselling, well i liked having someone sit and listen to me whinge for an hour once a week. I dont think we really got any where. I don't have issues from my childhood that need dredging up.

Now i am anxious ALL THE TIME, for no specific reason, i FIND reasons to worry, but it is almost to justify waking up scared every single fucking day, it can be exhausting. My anxiety also prevents me from doing things, i have a pile of papers to read but they are becoming the proverbial elephant, staring at me from their pink box file. Alot of my anxieties are due to our financial situation, so if i were to find work im sure alot would go away, but thats another thread, and tbh i think my anxieties are preventing me from gaining employment.

I was really struggling with the anxiety a while back and told my DP i wanted back on ADs, but he begged me not to do it, said i was like a zombie when i was taking them (i dont see this, but why would he lie?) he said i just didnt care about anything and he would prefer me to be the demented stresshead that i am just now (i can be scary!). So i went to the doctors and said i was struggling, of course she said have some more ADs, but i insisted on therapy and have been allocated some CBT on the NHS, i had to fight tooth and nail for this.

I want to get better, this is no way to live, I NEED this to work, so how do i do it? I spent hours whining about how crap my life is to my last counsellor, blamed DP for everything (he isn't perfect, he does cause me stress sometimes, but he isn;t me, he isnt having CBT, i am, i cant change him, but i can change me)

Can anyone tell me what to expect?? Im scared (what a surprise!!!) Am sort of managing just now, ticking over, i am worried that this is going to be counter productive and make me feel worse.

Hi, I did CBT and its really good. Nothing to worry about. I had traditional counselling before this and, like you, it was good to winge for an hour but did not help. With CBT I found that rather than going round in circles talking about stuff they give you a plan to use when you need it.

Rather than trying to find the reasons behind your anxiety they will probably give you ways of coping with it and finally overcoming it.

I found it very positive and they take it at your pace.

Good luck x

Thanks for that iphone - this is what i am hoping for. I realise that i have always been a worrier, but lately it became ridiculous. I jst need coping strategies.

No experience but good luck!

In my initial therapy sessions (never done CBT though) I have usually done some background information and set a goal for the therapy. Also gone through the 'ground rules' of confidentiality and risk disclosure etc.

Thanks fluffy :) how are you?

I remember the confidentiality "talk" from my "traditional counselling" before, i remember just bursting out laughing when she said "oh, well i will have to report of you tell me anything that refers to an act of terrorism, or money laundering"

hi fluffy, im going to be deregistering for a bit, spending too much time on here - i hope you do well and get where you want to be! xx