Has anyone had CBT?

[Insecure24]

Has it worked?

Roughly how much does it cost? My PCT list for it on the NHS is farcical!

Can anyone suggest a good therapist in Surrey? SW London please?

I'm really interested to hear people's experiences.

Watching this thread as ive just been referred for CBT

Hope you don't have to wait too long for an appointment! Just spoken to one guy who I found off the CBT register. Said £85 per 50min session and a typical course is 6 sessions. Suppose it's an investment in myself!

Could you not get it on the NHS?

I was referred for CBT after being diagnosed with Post-natal depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

It was about 6-8 weeks on the NHS from when my gp referred me to when I had my first appointment. Standard amount I was told is 8 sessions on the NHS before being reassessed if you need more. It really helped me.

Basically as I wasn't too 'bad' it was more like in-depth counselling about the events which triggered the PTSD, which for me was a very traumatic birth of my DS. It was very beneficial and the first couple of sessions was just talking through what happened and then focusing on certain areas of what I had told the lady.

I don't know anyone to recommend sorry. However, you shouldn't have to wait too long. Keep chasing your appointment and tell them you are happy to go on a cancellation list as you may be able to get in a bit quicker.

Good luck.

Waiting list is too long. I'm willing to spend the money it's just surprising it's so much

I am having it. I don't even know if I have moved onto it yet, all I do is talk and talk and talk and write things on a sheet (panic sheet). I have just been for another hour, will be my 7th time, have yet to talk about any traumas.

So is that just it? A chat?

It's done wonders for ds2s (17) anxiety.

No it is re-training your thinking.

I will go get my sheet to give you an example, yours may be different mine is for PTSD

2 mins

I had it for a few years in my teens under CAMHS, and left when I outgrew it at 19.

I am now 26 and am having some group sessions with others who have CFS/ME and will hopefully have individual sessions after that.

It takes a lot of work as it really challenges you. One thing I found very helpful - and will be doing again now - is keeping a diary to note down all that I learn.

It is VERY different to counselling or 'a chat' BTW - if it is done properly.

This what my sheet reads:

Trauma focused cbt: CBT for PTSD and trauma involves carefully and gradually 'exposing' yourself to thoughts, feelings and situations that remind you of the trauma, therapy also includes identifying upsetting thoughts about the event, particularly thoughts that are distorted and irrational and replacing them with a more balanced picture.

Then the worksheet:

Situation: What happened - ie door bell rang when I was home alone

*Emotions/moods (what emotions did I feel at this time how intense was is 0%-100%): Say 40%

Physical Sensations: (what did I notice in my body - how did I feel?): Panic, heart rate up, omg and no way am I answering that...

Unhelpful thoughts or images: example: oh no it's my ex, he's is coming to finish me off...

Alternative Thoughts/Images: example: Ummm he has no idea where I live and if he did then what could he do ? realistically nothing and if in public if chain on door, nothing at all

What did I do/could I do/Defusion techniques (What could I do different/what would be more affective) Re-rate emotions: answer the door, with the chain on if it is the ex smash him on head with baseball and shut the door - emotions 20%

Sorry I am working on angry outbursts so possibly ignore the baseball bat!

I have also to write out everything that has happened to me, over the past 18 years, this I struggle with as it's blocked out, well a lot of it is.

I also have to visualise my safe place, for me this is my sadly gone grandparents, staying at their house, sleeping on the living room floor with the coal fire going out and my grandad making me toast.

I have other sheets too, I cannot find them just now, basically it is managing stress (music, safe place), doing things to help others (volunteering, helping a neighbour) Doing things I enjoy (not a lot right now)

Sorry if this is not at all what you are going for but this is all for panic attacks and night-terrors and flash backs and not going out.

My bold failed me.

Yes it is re-training the way your brain reacts to what-ever problems you are having, notice my sheets say gradually I think this is why we are still just talking but it is more than just talking, writing on these sheets makes me see how silly my panics are (not to me but on paper).

Ds2 has that sheet, Overly, he's found it to be very helpful.

I had cbt about 10 years ago for an anxiety disorder. My experience was very much as Yappy describes - looking at an anxiety-inducing situation, your thought processes and reactions to the situation, and then taking small steps to change them.

In my case it was intended to help me get back to work after a breakdown, and in this respect it was unsuccesful. I still have anxiety issues now so i can't say it was a magic cure, but it did help me understand what was happening and gave me some coping strategies that i still use. Whether it will work for you probably depends on the underlying issues - i think it failed for me because these weren't really addressed and i think counselling in conjunction with cbt would have been more succesful. I think i had 12 sessions but it was paid for by my employer so i've no idea what the cost was i'm afraid.

I find the sheets very helpful too. My DS also has anxiety so I try hide mine as I worry I am passing it on...(he will be seeing CAMHS in March)

Just back from my normal GP and asked him if my sheets are CBT and basically yes, it is to re-tune the brain into a more balanced way of thinking.

One of mine was a bus journey due to a flat tyre:

Situation: Flat tyre have to get the bus, or walk, or cancel appointment but cannot get another in time for medication running out

Emotions: panic 70%

Physical sensations: heart rate faster, breathing too heavy shaking, sweating

Unhelpful thoughts/Images: Oh no I detest buses, lots of people, ex COULD be one the bus or someone who knows him, may have to talk or something bad Get a telephone appointment and stay home

Alternative thoughts: Its a BUS, it passes me daily, mostly with old people, get on it...What is the worst that can happen? Ex could be on bus, what would he do with a bus full of people though? Ex doesn't live in this town so if he was on bus could get interdict as he is not supposed to be here anyway

What did I do/could I do: I could walk but would miss appointment, get the bus, I did get the bus, my neighbour was at bus stop (20 months old) babbled to him all the way and before I knew it I was where I wanted to be and walked home feeling proud of myself for getting on a bus

Re-asses panic: 20%

It does help to write it all out. I use my sheets daily now. I even have one for when my DS1 thought we had a burgular.

That sounds really good, Overly. Ds uses his a couple of times a week, but I think I may encourage him to use them a bit more, particularly as he's off to uni in September. He as AS, so he worries a great deal about getting things right, and he suffers from sensory overload.

Another alternative you could try is hypnosis therapy. I did this about 2 years ago to treat depression and a 30 year nail biting habit.

I did this privately and it was £60 per session, each session was an hour long and I only needed 3 sessions. The lady I saw said most people require between 3 - 6 sessions. I was sceptical at first but as I'd tried everything else I thought it was worth a shot. It was the very best money I have ever spent and I walked out of my second session feeling like a massive black cloud I didn't realise I even had was gone. I also fell pregnant between my 2nd and 3rd session after quite a few months of trying, probably a coincidence but I'll never know.

I have a CD with the relaxation techniques (which take about 20 minutes a time and was included in the first session) which I can use when I feel very stressed or unable to cope and it really helps.

My daughter had it for her CFS , it didnt do her any good but I think that's because she really wasn't ' on board ' IYSWIM . I attended all the sessions and I could see where my daughter was coming from to a degree , you really have to be very motivated to make it work IME . I also think you really need to get on with and see eye to eye with the therapist , we swapped after the first session but TBH the second one was not much better and we definitely had a very different idea of where we were heading .

I would DDonna I have to give myself a push to use mine but writing it all out really seems to help. I do admit I thought it would be useless so didn't use the sheets for a few weeks but even if I feel a bit panicky I now think of the sheets and immediately re-assess my thoughts.

I hope he gets on okay, it will be a big step for him I would imagine.

This is all interesting thank you. I think I'll give it a go. At £85 a session I'll think of it as an investment in me.

Can the therapist "treat" more than one issue at a time? I have a host of them : IBS which is what my gastro consultant recommended trying, panic attacks and difficulty with intercourse following childbirth. Nothing anatomical, it's "in my head"

They can treat lots of issues. A good therapist will discuss the range of things you want to address near the outset and adjust the plan as you go.

The therapist should treat all your issues. They will probably start with the problem/concern/issue that is most affecting your life in the biggest way, and work back from that. Think of it as if you were in an accident and had multiple injuries, they deal with the biggest and most life threatening first and then sort out the rest in order of priority.

So as an example they may deal with the panic attacks and once you have found a way to deal with that ok will then move onto helping sort the mental block of the intercourse issues and then once you feel able to cope with that situation then the IBS (just as an example).

It will be an investment in you. Make sure you feel comfortable with your counsellor or therapist. Speak to them over the phone or ask for a quick 5 minute appointment just to see if they are the right person to help you.

Oh great thank you Don't mean this to sound weird, but I guess I'd find talking about my sexual problems awkward with a male counsellor. They've heard it all before right? The guy I've found is quite local and sounds very nice over the phone, got own website, on CBT register.

I have IBS too, I never thought of having CBT for it.

I cannot sleep or lie and relax without my legs crossed, another thing we will be working on. May sound crazy but this drives me well, crazy but I uncross them and try to read and relax, they cross themselves again.

I have always had some kind of anxiety going on. First I was depressed/anxious, then I had Generalised Anxiety Disorder, now PTSD, again more anxiety. This is the first time I have been offered CBT, I often call my GP begging for sleeping pills but they just send me back to my Therapist. She hasn't given me a time span but I do feel a bit better than when I first went to her.

You may find the first session is more getting to know what you want to work on and your Therapist getting to know you (I thought mine was doing nothing but she was she was analysing me).

Best of luck