Alternatives to CBT for chronic and crippling procrastination?

[NotVictorianHonestly]

I've struggled with chronic procrastination my whole adult life. It causes me issues in all areas of my life and I really need to get it under control as it is making me miserable. I've tried all the normal advice and non of it works. I just keeping getting worse and can't snap out of it.

Does anyone have any advice please as to what sort of treatment options there might be out there? It doesn't matter if it is private.

I have never got anywhere with CBT so need an alternative to this.

If anyone has any general recommendations of the sort of specialist and/or treatment I should be looking for, or even better specific recommendations for people in London, I'd be most grateful.

Adhd?

As above... Have you considered that you might have an executive functioning problem?

Yes as above
You might not be able to access medication though:(

Watching with interest…

Look up Mel Robbins - I think she's on ted talks and netflix. She is good at dealing with procrastination and 'not waiting till you feel like it' .

Also suggesting checking out ADHD as a possibility.

I had books and all sorts to try and deal with my awful procrastination. Never could understand why I couldn't even follow the advice, no matter what I tried.

Was diagnosed with ADHD in my 40s, complete lightbulb moment.

I am pretty sure I have adhd. Realising it helps .... but it is 10am and I still havent got started.

Thanks all. So how do I go about finding out if I have ADHD? A psychiatrist? I figure I need a proper diagnose and some strategies from from professional. I'm fortunate to have very generous health insurance so can get seen quite easily, I just need to work out the best route to go down as I normally find it is best to decide who I want to see because IME GPs refer you wherever you like once they know you have insurance.

I'll check out the TED talk too, thanks.

Yes a psychiatrist is the main way to get diagnosed in the UK.

My private healthcare through my work didn't cover neurodevelopmental conditions though. I was referred on the NHS, but ended up going for a private assessment that I paid for myself, then I was lucky to get back to NHS Psychiatrist when the referral eventually came through.

Thanks! That's interesting. I wonder if mine has a similar exclusion. They should at least cover an initial consultation with a psychiatrist so I think I will get my GP to refer me to one on the basis of the extreme stress I'm experiencing as result of the procrastination and at least that should give me an initial idea.

Watching this with interest.

I struggle with procrastination too.

How do you/we differentiate between there actually being an underlying problem, and 'just being lazy or indecisive'?

I am really struggling with this too. Always been an issue but has got so so much worse since the pandemic. Considering trying to get a diagnosis but feel really silly talking to a doctor about it

@iwanttobeonleave i often ask myself the same thing!

I'm in the same boat.

It's really debilitating. I've had therapy, tried all the routines/Ted talks/ etc.

I end up crashing and burning every time.

Everyone says I'm really intelligent, and can't understand why I have so much unfilled potential. I've managed to screw up so many things.

When all 3 dc were diagnosed with Adhd/ASD it was like a lightbulb going on!

It really impacts my life to the point of financial loss....I still have the dla forms for the dc gathering dust in the corner, everyday is money lost....

I need the answer too so will be following with strong interest.

Most strategies that help with procrastination are going to be broadly CBT based, whether you get them from an ADHD clinic, a psychiatrist or a TED talk.
It's cognitive (the way you think) and behavioural (what you do) - it pretty much encompasses anything relevant to the topic.
Procrastination is caused by fear and avoidance, what are you afraid of?

The only non CBT based approach that could help might be psychodynamic psychotherapy which looks into the more unconscious drivers for behaviour. It might uncover possible reasons why you self sabotage and the psychic "benefits" of procrastination. For example, if you procrastinate you can attribute your failure to the procrastination instead of completing a task and taking the risk of finding out you are actually no good. Or perhaps you fear success (unconsciously) as you worry it would make you unloveable.

@MajesticWhine

Most strategies that help with procrastination are going to be broadly CBT based, whether you get them from an ADHD clinic, a psychiatrist or a TED talk. It's cognitive (the way you think) and behavioural (what you do) - it pretty much encompasses anything relevant to the topic. Procrastination is caused by fear and avoidance, what are you afraid of?

The only non CBT based approach that could help might be psychodynamic psychotherapy which looks into the more unconscious drivers for behaviour. It might uncover possible reasons why you self sabotage and the psychic "benefits" of procrastination. For example, if you procrastinate you can attribute your failure to the procrastination instead of completing a task and taking the risk of finding out you are actually no good. Or perhaps you fear success (unconsciously) as you worry it would make you unloveable.

Thank you, that's very helpful.

Has anyone had (or does anyone know of someone who has had) positive experiences with medication?

Really interested in your ADHD diagnosis, I feel I’ve been wrongly diagnosed with depression for almost 20yrs taking meds this whole time.
waa it expensive to get a private diagnosis? Did your GP take on board your private diagnosis?