CBT- NHS

[SugarMouse1]

Has anyone had CBT on the NHS?

how long was your wait for it?

I'm soon to start counseling with a local charity that is subsidized if you don't earn much money, but it doesn't offer CBT.

I've had AD's in the past, Prozac and citalopram, but I didn't like the side effects and the help they give is minimal. How can I ask about trying tricyclic AD's? does anyone prescribe them anymore?

I've been on a waiting list for CBT for over a month now and the charity that provides it (on behalf of the NHS) has stopped replying to my messages.

Good luck getting TCAs. I wanted my doctor to prescribe them, as I also have a type of IBS which can be improved by taking TCAs, whereas my experience of SSRIs is that they make it much worse. She shot that suggestion down right away. I think NICE prescribing guidelines say that doctors have to go through as many SSRIs as possible before they start trying other classes of drugs. Partly it's because you can kill yourself with a TCA overdose, but that's much harder to do with SSRIs.

I have TCAs, but they were prescribed by a consultant.

I had CBT on the NHS. Waited about 8 weeks for it. It was great.

I have just started CBT. I was told I could wait up to 12 weeks but had a call 1 week later, much to my amazement!
They say their waiting lists have gone down a lot.

Also, is CBT time limited on the NHS?

Depends on your area and complexity of your needs I think. I had 20 sessions over six months, waited 7 weeks for it. It was helpful but I found psychotherapy more relevant to my issues. Other people have only had 6 sessions.

I have had group CBT sessions didn't have to wait long, a couple of weeks, am now going on a group course for anxiety. Only had to wait 2 weeks for that. The individual ones have a much longer wait time so I decided to do the group ones. In a funny sort of way it gives me comfort knowing I'm not the only one.

Depends where you live. It is a 2 year waiting list in my area. Even my G admits that that is appalling :(

I have heard such good things about CBT, Good Luck , hpe you have really positive experiences with it!

GP

CBT on the NHS seems to consist of 7 or 8 sessions through the "IAPT" service. I'm surprised you haven't been offered it because CBT is basically the only type of 'therapy' you can get in my area.

Yes GPs can still prescribe tricyclic antidepressants, but they aren't always keen because they tend to have more side effects and are more dangerous but it is worth the risk if other options have failed.

Lofepramine is a TCA that GP might be more willing to prescribe because it is much safer.