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CBT

Marjorie195

CBT is often mentioned here, as the treatment most helpful for those on the spectrum. I think that it is being built up in the minds of some people, to be a miracle remedy that will change their lives easily.

CBT is more, an idea about how you can move forward in life. It rarely changes anything on day one, and needs to be worked at, harder than you can imagine.

I had, what I now know to be CBT many years ago. The only thing that changed was that I acquired hope for the future. It was more like taking a fork along a footpath, than some life changing experience.

It is , for the NHS, expensive, and is therefore brief. You are given a set of ideas, and some practical examples of how to use them, then you are on your own. It is you who has to learn how to do it. I had some brief follow up, a year later, with group discussions about how people changed their attitudes, but that is it.

For those who want to try it, I think the best approach might be, to put into practise one piece of advice, given during a consultation, and noting down how you went about changing this one aspect of your life. Give examples of how this has improved one or two situations, you have found yourself in, then ask for more advice.

So many people who have CBT say nothing much has changed, and I need more now. They can follow the specific examples for them, given in training, but do not pick up on the need to implement it themselves in other situations.

If you can show that you have benefitted from help given, and can use it in other situations, then you will be able to access more help, even if it is one new idea, from a health worker every now and then. Too much at once, can be overwhelming, it is fairy steps, not great leaps forward. I still use my training, now knowing the notes by heart, and still go wrong, often, and benefit from a push back in the right direction.

My CBT was for depression and anxiety, but that is what a lot of us have, and as I am undiagnosed, it was not aimed at problems related to asd. That does not mean that it is of no value. I have found that  life changing, eventually.

Parents

  • I had CBT from the NHS because I suffer really badly with anxiety and stress which finished last month.Initially it was supposed to be four sessions,

    The first couple of sessions went well but then we started to explore the fact that I might have Aspergers. This completely derailed the CBT treatment and we spent the remaining two sessions exploring Aspergers. This completely blew my mind and caused my anxiety problems to become much worse.

    Another two sessions were added to enable the autism diagnosis referral to be done, The therapist said that because I was now worse than when I started I would be receiving an intensive 12 week course of CBT but that wouldn't be for 6 months due to waiting lists.

    That was the end of my initial CBT therapy. I left the final appointment in an emotional mess due to having to come to terms with the likelihood of having autism and also I really had felt that at last someone was finally going to help me with my lifelong anxiety issues and they had gone without anything being resolved.

    I tried to get on with life but was starting to really struggle at work having severe anxiety attacks on a regular basis and feeling suicidal. After a week I decided that I couldn't go on in that state any longer so I phoned CBT to ask for additional help (surely they operate an open door policy/duty of care?), they said they woudnt be able to help and to go back to my GP.

    Next day I saw the GP and he e mailed CBT department and asked them to contact me. I waited 5 long days for the phone to ring  but no phone call came so I phoned them back, the receptionist said someone would phone me ASAP. 5 days later they did phone(10 days of waiting is torture for someone who is suffering from severe anxiety and feeling suicidal). They said to read through the notes I was given and phone Samaritans if I got really bad. I asked when I was due to get my intensive 12 week CBT course and was told I woulnt be getting it

    I went back to the GP and asked him where I should go for help if NHS mental health dept wont help - he had no answers so I asked him to sign me off work.

    Ive been off work for 4 weeks now

    Ive had my NHS appointment through - its in 2 weeks

Reply

  • I had CBT from the NHS because I suffer really badly with anxiety and stress which finished last month.Initially it was supposed to be four sessions,

    The first couple of sessions went well but then we started to explore the fact that I might have Aspergers. This completely derailed the CBT treatment and we spent the remaining two sessions exploring Aspergers. This completely blew my mind and caused my anxiety problems to become much worse.

    Another two sessions were added to enable the autism diagnosis referral to be done, The therapist said that because I was now worse than when I started I would be receiving an intensive 12 week course of CBT but that wouldn't be for 6 months due to waiting lists.

    That was the end of my initial CBT therapy. I left the final appointment in an emotional mess due to having to come to terms with the likelihood of having autism and also I really had felt that at last someone was finally going to help me with my lifelong anxiety issues and they had gone without anything being resolved.

    I tried to get on with life but was starting to really struggle at work having severe anxiety attacks on a regular basis and feeling suicidal. After a week I decided that I couldn't go on in that state any longer so I phoned CBT to ask for additional help (surely they operate an open door policy/duty of care?), they said they woudnt be able to help and to go back to my GP.

    Next day I saw the GP and he e mailed CBT department and asked them to contact me. I waited 5 long days for the phone to ring  but no phone call came so I phoned them back, the receptionist said someone would phone me ASAP. 5 days later they did phone(10 days of waiting is torture for someone who is suffering from severe anxiety and feeling suicidal). They said to read through the notes I was given and phone Samaritans if I got really bad. I asked when I was due to get my intensive 12 week CBT course and was told I woulnt be getting it

    I went back to the GP and asked him where I should go for help if NHS mental health dept wont help - he had no answers so I asked him to sign me off work.

    Ive been off work for 4 weeks now

    Ive had my NHS appointment through - its in 2 weeks

Children