CBT Courses....................

[uk_27]

Hi all. I recently visited my doctor about this SA bollox and one of the recommendations she gave me was to go on one of these CBT courses. Has any of you lovley anxious people done one of these courses and can you tell me anything about them!!??? Have they helped??? Thanks........

 

[ignisfatuus]

I'm going to assume you mean self-help books and the like when you say "CBT courses" as opposed to CBT administered by a psychologist.

It depends on how severe your SA is. Are you able to work, go to school, do you or have you had a significant other, do you have friends, etc.? If you are virtually housebound, then self-help resources are going to do nothing at all. If you currently have a core activity (like work or school) then these may help you.

As for suggestions, you will see Thomas Richards's tapes name checked on numerous boards. They have a few helpful insights, but are annoying on a few levels, one of which is that they treat the listener in a condescending manner. Obviously the tapes have to be tailored to the interests and abilities of the greatest number of people, but the simplistic delivery leaves one wincing at times. If you pick this up through a torrent then there's little to lose besides your time.

 

[Iron_Girl]

I'm interested in CBT also. Has anyone here ever had any significant success with the self-help stuff or even through a psychologist?

 

[SopranoFan85]

maybe ppl could post some torrents or links where to download self help recordings related to SA or CBT?

 

[ignisfatuus]

@Iron_Girl
I've been through 30+ sessions of CBT with three different psychologists and it did very little (I actually felt worse after each appointment). The self-help material is more of a band-aid than anything. Not that you shouldn't try either; what doesn't work for some, works for others.

@SopranoFan85
I doubt the moderators or webmaster would allow the posting of torrents. Try Googling "Overcoming Social Anxiety - Step by Step" or typing that into a torrent search engine such as isohunt or torrentspy.

 

[uk_27]

Thanls for your replys. I phoned the number I was given yesterday and booked on the course, although it is not untill the new year. They told me it is basically 5 wweks of 2 hour "courses" which basically sounds like a lecture. The first week is on phyisical aspects of anxiety, the second on whats causes it, the third on somthing else, another on how to combat it and then abother.......(Sorry, I really can't remember!!!!) Call be pesemistic, but I'm not sure if it will help. Obviously I will give it a go because my doctor has recommended this as a first step. So I need to persue it before I can go back to her. Anyone done anything similar???

Cheers my anxious friends...................

 

[maggie]

Thanls for your replys. I phoned the number I was given yesterday and booked on the course, although it is not untill the new year. They told me it is basically 5 wweks of 2 hour "courses" which basically sounds like a lecture. The first week is on phyisical aspects of anxiety, the second on whats causes it, the third on somthing else, another on how to combat it and then abother.......(Sorry, I really can't remember!!!!) Call be pesemistic, but I'm not sure if it will help. Obviously I will give it a go because my doctor has recommended this as a first step. So I need to persue it before I can go back to her. Anyone done anything similar???

Cheers my anxious friends...................

good luck uk_27..let us know how it goes :!:

 

[sabbath92001]

CBT can make you worse. However with the right perspective it might help. I'd suggest reading an ACT self-help workbook like "Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life" or "Living Beyond Your Pain" before, during and after the CBT courses. CBT teaches you that some thoughts, feelings, memories, etc. are irrational. That's fine, but then CBT says challenge and change those thoughts, feelings, etc into rational ones. ACT teaches us instead to thank our minds for it's input (however irrational it is) and do what we want to do based on our values. Until I learned about ACT I kept getting worse and worse. CBT made me worse because I spent all my time challenging irrational thoughts and feelings instead of actually living. With ACT we practice mindfulness, staying in the present moment. Instead of focusing on what's going on inside us we focus on what's going on around us. We can't control our thoughts, feelings, etc. but we can gain control of our arms, legs and mouth.

 

[plainsofserenity]

We can't control our thoughts, feelings, etc. but we can gain control of our arms, legs and mouth.

To say 'we can't control our thoughts, feelings, etc.' is too wide a statement. Because that is basically what CBT says you can do. I may not be for everyone, it may not work for everybody but when it does work -it does work.
http://www.socialphobiaworld.com/postt10542.html

 

[IceLad]

I bought the Overcoming Social Anxiety course by Dr Richards at the start of the year.

Its good in the sense that you buy it outright and make just the one payment, rather than paying therapists on a weekly basis, and of course you can do it in your own time.

Its not bad either, but it isn't a miracle cure by any means. I think its slowly starting to help me make progress, and it is helping me change my thoughts.