GP said no the CBT anyone had counselling??

[alexa1]

I asked the GP for CBT and she said she didn't think it would help me and AD's are better.
She also said the waiting list is 4 months and I told her that I don't mind waiting that long as I have put up with panic disorder and anxiety for 4 years. Anyway, looks like I won't be getting that therapy unless I pay for it. She did say she would refer me on for counselling though. I suppose it's better than nothing. Have any of you had couselling? A friend of mine had counselling (for bereavment) and she said it was a waste of time as the counsellor wasn't allowed to give her advice, all she done was listen.

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Hi Alexa

i have had CBT & counselling

One thing i cannot stress enough is that a counsellor DOES not and SHOULD not give you the answers.

They give you the tools to examine your life,m your way of thinking, your way of dealing with things and why you are having anxiety or depressive episodes. ANd then you can see how to change yourself and your reactions to things and break unhealthy behaviour cycles.

therapy is a process and a journey...and you need to find yourself on that journey..the therapist can give you a map.. you need to read it and follow it yourself.

And don't underestimate the power of just talking things through,,, you will find that a lot of counsellors don't say an awful lot...they pick up on what you say and invite you to explore those things further,

you have the answers within you...a counsellor merely draws them out.

Alexa...please try and be more positive.... counselling can be excellent.....don;t expect it to fail because it didn;t work for your friend....

I've had counselling and CBT and they both worked for me. Counselling is more of a 'getting things off your chest' exercise whereas CBT challenges the reasons you're thinking like that in the first place.

Could you ask another doctor for a second opinion? Did you explain your reasons for wanting to try CBT?

If it's any help, I was given a book called 'Mind Over Mood' by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky that has some of the principals of CBT for you to think about if your doctor refuses to refer you on, and I've just googled the book for the author and there's also a website www.mindovermood.com but I can't click on the link here so I don't know if it's any good.

I've had both. For me, with PN PTSD, the CBT was what worked. But, if standard counselling is what is available for you right now, I would go for it and maybe the CNT will come available later on.

thanks. i might buy that book mind over mood. i am just wondering why some of you have no problems getting a referral for CBT and my GP didn't want to refer me.
i will give the counselling a go though.
cheers all.

For me it was a case of 'we've tried most of the SSRIs going, let's try something else'. I'd been suffering from depression for about 4 years when I was referred and I had a suicide attempt and a history of self-harm that might have worked in my favour for getting referred. It was the consultant psychiatrist who refered me and it took about 6 months from initial referral to actually seeing a brilliant psychiatric nurse called Ruth who took me through the CBT.

I'm in the US, alexa. It's all out of pocket for me but a necessary expenditure atm. It has really saved my sanity and my relationship with dh and ds.

When I had suspected PND, I was given a book by my HV called 'The Overcoming Depression Workbooks' by Dr C J Williams. It's a set of 8 (I think) worbooks that address different areas of thinking and behaviour and it's based around CBT principles. Like I said, I got mine through my HV but it may be worth asking about it, to get you going through the initial time of ADs.

DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!!! Does she think you should be on drugs long term or what? I think this is ridiculaous and am really for you! Where are you alexa1? You have a right to this if you need it.