CBT Therapy- WHAT IS IT??

Hi! CBT is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. In a nutshell, you learn to recognize the negative, illogical anxiety-causing thoughts you are having, how to stop them and/or replace them with more positive and rational thoughts.

I agree that meds alone dont usually cut it. I very highly recommend learning CBT. A psycologist, therapist, etc. can help you with this. They can also teach you relaxation techniques, breathing excersises, etc. that will help with Anxiety/Panic.

Karen

Here is a reply to another friend I just wrote on another thread about cbt:
I have read the david burns book and it is full of useful exercises and more of a manual for overcoming anxiety and depression and not a real friendly book, but that said I did like it. I was in a group and the book by sam obitz was the first one we used and I identified with a lot, but not all, of it which in turn gave me the boost in confidence that cbt may actually work that I needed at the time and got me to dive into the program head first. I liked his more simple approach which amounted to the tea forms the wrist counter exercises and the putting thingfs back into perspective exercise, it's kind of a cliff notes for burns book which did not overwhelm me and helped me focus by not overwhelming me with too many drills to focus on. Really I pretty much am only doing the tea forms now and it is working well but I still notice if I take too many days (weeks) off from doing them my anxiety does start to ramp back up a bit.
What I was referring to about it kicking in six months ago was that it seems like it is starting to become ingrained as my default way of thinking since then. I hope you can find similar success with cbt :)

A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapy based on modifying everyday thoughts and behaviors, with the aim of positively influencing emotions. The general approach developed out of modification behavior  and Cognitive Therapy, and has become widely used to treat psychopathology, including mood disorders and anxiety disorders.

The particular therapeutic techniques vary according to the particular kind of client or issue, but commonly include keeping a diary of significant events and associated feelings, thoughts and behaviors; questioning and testing assumptions or habits of thoughts that might be unhelpful and unrealistic; gradually facing activities which may have been avoided; and trying out new ways of behaving and reacting.

 Relaxation and distraction techniques are also commonly included. CBT is widely accepted as an evidence-based, cost-effective psychotherapy for many disorders. It is sometimes used with groups of people as well as individuals, and the techniques are also commonly adapted for self-help manuals. ^{Reference: Wikipedia}

Hey All,

CBT can be very helpful for some people with depression, panic, and/or anxiety disorder.  I suffer from all these disorders, but CBT does nothing to help my imbalances.  I don't have any hang-ups about myself, I don't have a poor self image, and I recognize that I bear no responsibility for having an imbalance.  I went through a ten week therapy group focusing on CBT, and I just didn't fit in.  Everyone else was a mess when we started, and I did see it make some improvements in the attitudes of some participants.  If you have the opportunity to try it out, it certainly couldn't hurt, and might just help.

Just my opinion.

Leigh Ann  

How do you make your envelope blue and what exactly does it mean to have a blue envelope?

Stkitt, thanks for the compliment on my postings That was really nice of you! Sorry i have not posted recently but work has been real hectic and though I have been doing well I have not had much time for e-mail or posting. Also thanks for the info on how to contact debaser. Cheers.

Good bump AK and I hope you are not freezing but probably are
CBT is great

I can't believe I never saw this thread before??? I think it is great that you guys and girls keep bumping it. Count me as a CBT proponent but you gotta keep doing your TEA forms for the most relief possible as I learned the hard way this past summer. Doing great now and hope all of you are as well.

Me too bigbear

Percycat, I'm not sure what the TEA form is.  Maybe some else does and can help us with that. Wen

Thanks, CBTgirl. I'll have to check TEA forms out. I see a CBT therapist weekly, but sometimes it seems I haven't taken enough homework on and then I wonder whether I'll be able to apply a skill when the time comes that I need it. This will give us something new to talk about next week.

percycat

CBT girl is our expert on this topic and she is always good at explaining how the CBT works so Members, please,  feel free to ask quetions  that you need help or want info about.

Kitt