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Original poster

Referred for cognitive behaviroul therapy - makes me a loon

17 replies

Mud · 16/05/2006 17:14

doesnt' it?
helo, havent' been here for a while. Have a problem with attecks of not being able to breathe - is it astham? is it infection? who know? GP says try CBT - I'm clutchign at every straw

but have been brught up to believe I should just get on with it - so fighteing internal demons about doing it - its admision of lunacy in my book - admitting I can't cope

any thoughts

OP posts:

Original poster

Mud · 16/05/2006 17:17

that is particularly badly typed - will retype

doesn't it?

hello, I haven't been here for a while. I have a problem with attacks of not being able to breathe - is it asthma? is it an infection? who knows? GP says try CBT - I'm clutching at every straw

but have been brought up to believe I should just get on with it - so fighting internal demons about doing it - its an admission of lunacy in my book - admitting I can't cope

any thoughts

OP posts:

dinosaure · 16/05/2006 17:19

No, of course it doesn't. But I know from my own experience how hard it is, admitting that you can't cope.

I hope that you won't think that this is a bit facile - but have you tried yoga?

Caribbeanqueen · 16/05/2006 17:20

Perhaps they are panic attacks? There is nothing at all wrong in admitting you might need some help and getting any help you can. If it is panic attacks, then there must be a reason behing them - can you think of anything making you particularly stressed at the moment?

CBT is supposed to be very good, I hope it really helps you. No lunacy abouy it at all.

Heathcliffscathy · 16/05/2006 17:21

no it is not an admission of lunacy. your restriction of breath may have psychological roots which in no way mean that what you're experiencing isn't real.

CBT is the most pragmatic and brief of all the talking therapies.

so as a cynic should be more amenable to you then the others. give it a try.

i know it's scarey for someone with the beliefs that you have to be referred for therapy....but I truly believe that everyone could benefit from it.

PrettyCandles · 16/05/2006 17:23

It doesn't mean that you are a loon. No, it means that you are very lucky to have been refered for a very good education programme. I've had PND, and one of the worst things was admiting to myself that I wasn't coping - very shameful. But one of the reasons that I wasn't coping was that my coping strategies weren't working. CBT will help you learn and develop new strategies that will serve you well in all aspects of your life, not just situations that may trigger 'attacks'. And boy-oh-boy will you find that you can cope! Please believe me when I say that you are far from nuts!

Pruni · 16/05/2006 17:24

I know someone who has cbt for post-viral syndrome (M.E.). Apparently it works brilliantly for what is a debilitating problem with very real physical symptoms. HTH
PS she is no loon!

dinosaure · 16/05/2006 17:25

Yes, I'd really like to be referred for CBT - I know enough to know that it would be good for me to shake off my negative thought and behaviour patterns.

foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 17:27

yes, I quite fancy some CBT - I have a lot of things that trigger off massive automatic negative thoughts and I believe CBT is very good at changing those sort of patterns.

It's also not an admission that you can't cope - it's an admission that you are taking control of your life and trying to sort out something that has gone awry.

PiccadillyCircus · 16/05/2006 17:29

I feel I would benefit from CBT as well.

Blandmum · 16/05/2006 17:42

Well, if you are, I am too!

Had it to help with my worrying abou dh's health and found it very useful.

FrannytheGazelle · 16/05/2006 17:52

Agree that CBT is the least airy fairy method of all mental health therapies. It assumes your mind works in quite a mechanical way really and that you can change the way it functions, like fixing a car :)

I hope you will find it useful. Try not to get humg up about admissions of weakness etc. If your leg was broken you would want help to fix it, wouldn't you?

nursesam777 · 16/05/2006 18:04

Hi I have not posted before but your problem is familiar to me. There is an alternative which a friend of mine had great results from. Solution focused therapy is a problem-solving approach to difficulties which concentrates more on finding effective ways to meet challenges rather than analysing all the reasons why you are in difficulties. It can be applied to a wide range of problems and challenges. And in the shortest possible time. Why don't you look it up, it includes things like breathing exercises, goal planning to help cope with anxiety and panic attacks which I am sure every one of us has experienced at one time or another hope this helps

Original poster

Mud · 16/05/2006 21:09

thanks for responses they are very helpful

I told my DH and he was equally scathing abotu it. He gave me a look - didn't say much - didn't have to because it is all in the attitude.

will have to think about htis a bit more

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 16/05/2006 21:22

What was he scathing about?

Ledodgyherring · 16/05/2006 21:26

I'm having CBT for anxiety, panic attacks and other issues and I have found it to be brilliant. 3 months ago I couldn't leave the house on my own or just me and the kids, now i'm out all the time and have been on nights out in town the last 2 Saturdays! Please give it ago i'm truly amazed with the results sometimes it's great just being able to talk to someone who you have no connection with. I always go thinking i'm not in the mood to talk or think I haven't got anything to talk about but I always mange to fill the hour quite nicely lol. Good luck you'll be fine

Blunderwoman · 16/05/2006 21:27

You'd be mad not to give it a go if you and your gp thought it would help!

From personal experiences CBT is very good. It's a coping mechanism that worked on my subconscious feelings of inadequacy. For example, you can say that you're a bad mother but when you analyse the reasons exactly why you think you're a bad mother you realise that you're actually not that bad. It's things like that. The theory that stuck with me is 'would the reasons for me thinking I'm a bad person/a failure/a burden/a bad mother stand up in a court of law?'

foxinsocks · 17/05/2006 09:40

Mud, honestly just think to yourself - would he prefer a wife who has breathing attacks or one who feels better about herself and sorts it out?

Lots of people are scathing about therapy (my dh is another one of them, I know this as my mum has psychiatric problems and we were discussing this the other day) but they have often have a vision of therapy as airy fairy women blubbing to some bloke raking in the cash. He may also feel a bit inadequate that he couldn't help you himself.

Just keep in your mind that ultimately this will benefit you (and your family). The way I see it, you have nothing to lose.

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