General Chat

What is cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive therapy
Our 'cognitive processes' are our thoughts which include our ideas, mental images, beliefs and attitudes. Cognitive therapy is based on the principle that certain ways of thinking can trigger, or 'fuel', certain health problems. For example, anxiety, depression, phobias, etc, but there are others including physical problems. The therapist helps you to understand your current thought patterns. In particular, to identify any harmful, unhelpful, and 'false' ideas or thoughts which you have that can trigger your health problem, or make it worse. The aim is then to change your ways of thinking to avoid these ideas. Also, to help your thought patterns to be more realistic and helpful.

Behaviour therapy
This aims to change any behaviours that are harmful or not helpful. Various techniques are used. For example, a common unhelpful behaviour is to avoid situations that can make you anxious. In some people with phobias the avoidance can become extreme and affect day-to-day life. In this situation a type of behaviour therapy called 'exposure therapy' may be used. This is where you are gradually exposed more and more to feared situations. The therapist teaches you how to control anxiety and to cope when you face up to the feared situations. For example, by using deep breathing and other techniques.

Cognitive behaviour therapy - CBT
This is a mixture of cognitive and behaviour therapies. They are often combined because how we behave often reflects how we think about certain things or situations. The emphasis on cognitive or behaviour aspects of therapy can vary, depending on the condition being treated. For example, there is often more emphasis on behaviour therapy when treating obsessive compulsive disorder (where repetitive compulsive actions are a main problem). On the other hand, the emphasis may be more on cognitive therapy when treating depression.

What conditions can be helped by CBT?
CBT has been shown to help people with various condition - both mental health conditions and physical conditions. For example:

certain anxiety disorders including phobias, panic attacks and panic disorder
depression
eating disorders
obsessive-compulsive disorder
body dysmorphic disorder
anger
post-traumatic-stress disorder
sexual and relationship problems
habits such as facial tics
drug or alcohol abuse
some sleep problems
chronic fatigue syndrome / ME
chronic (persistent) pain
As a rule, the more specific the problem, the more likely CBT may help. This is because it is a practical therapy which focuses on particular problems and aims to overcome them. CBT is sometimes used alone, and sometimes used in addition to medication, depending on the type and severity of the condition being treated.

What is likely to happen during a course of CBT?
The first session of therapy will usually include time for the therapist and you to develop a shared understanding of the problem. This is usually to identify how your thoughts, ideas, feelings, attitudes, and behaviours affect your day-to-day life.

You should then agree a treatment plan and goals to achieve, and the number of sessions likely to be needed. Each session lasts about 50-60 minutes. Typically, a session of therapy is done once a week. Most courses of CBT last for several weeks. It is common to have 10-15 sessions, but a course of CBT can be longer or shorter, depending on the nature and severity of the condition. In some situations CBT sessions can be done by telephone.

You have to take an active part, and are given 'homework' between sessions. For example, if you have social phobia, early in the course of therapy you may be asked to keep a diary of your thoughts which occur when you become anxious before a social event. Later on you may be given homework of trying out ways of coping which you have learned during therapy.

How well does CBT work?
CBT has been shown in clinical trials to help ease symptoms of various health problems. For example, research studies have shown that a course of CBT is just as effective as medication in treating depression and certain anxiety disorders. There may be long-term benefits of CBT as the techniques to combat these problems can be used for the rest of your life to help to keep symptoms away. So, for example, depression or anxiety are less likely to recur in the future. There is good research evidence too to show that CBT can help to improve symptoms of some physical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

PMSL Mary! I have had a lovely day. No running to the loo (well just once) and enjoyed a lovely night out with some close family and friends.

Eileen CBT is cognitive behavioural therapy. But it doesn't mean much to me :o)) Liz might be better able to explain it!

Happy birthday dear leader of the depressed and anxious, without you this thread wouldn't exist. Group (((((((hug))))))) for our Carole.
love,
Mary

Sending you a cyber (((hug)) Carole xxxxxxxxxxx

Had a bit of a row with oh tonight feeling very sorry for myself. sil came to see me but I had gone in the bath to get out of the way and didn't feel like smiling and playing happy families so stayed in bed. Just come down for coffee and menthol to try clear my sinusm xxx

I don't have the time to chat as it takes me so long these days, but I had to say something about the PC freezing.
I never really noticed before, but it IS THIS SITE SONCE IT CHANGED.
I was so frustrated the other day when I typed a message... a long one... I think to Eileen, or perhaps Carole... and it DISAPPEARED ON ME. Not just froze as it usually does.
But you are right, no one will listen.
Gotta go folks, lots of love,
Deanna XXXX

We have finally got it sorted, the delay was because Carole, the manager asked if we could sign up for the flat in Thornton instead of me traipsing all the way into town. It has been agreed that someone will come up and we sign up at teatime on Monday and get the key, she wanted to let us have it for the weekend but the workmen haven't handed it back yet.

We need to somehow get some paint and paper over the weekend as someone is decorating it for us, then a girl my neice works with her husband runs a carpet shop. He will come up to our house with some samples in the colour range we want, and when decorated will come and fit them for us. It's all working out well, but as I have just told a dear friend look what I have put up with this last couple of years.

Teas ready, it's good to be waited on isn't it.lol.

Love and hugs to all
Caz xx

Will let you know the correct address when I have it.

Thank you all for being here just pm'd Carole to say think you this truely is a nice thread. I have had a missed miscarriage hence the reason I have been so low (again) but hey ho onwards and upwards. I hope you all have a lovely day and lots of ((hugs)) to you all
Rachxxxx

Afternoon all,
What a miserable day, it just about suits my mood lately.

Carole, not being nosey, but what does CBT mean? My eldest (handicapped) daughter who has lived in north Wales for some months now, was going over to Brittany to see about the rof on their own house, not their daughter Camille's, who's 23rd birthday it was yesterday.Thank you for your good wishes for the latter Anne.

Received a mail from daughter this morning, she is so very upset and angry.She and husband were in plenty of time at the airport, but the customs gave them a "bad time", don't know why yet, maybe it was to do with the large amount of medication she has to take for her disease?Anyway, it was 20 minutes or so before the plane was due to take off, when the woman at the desk said they couldn't fly because they were too late!! They not only lost their flight, but won't be reimbursed either.It was a lot of money for them to lose.All they could do is watch their plane standing there for another 20 minutes, feeling very frustrated etc. and, knowing their daughter (who's birthday it was yesterday) was almost in Nantes with her eldest child to pick them up, but they couldn;t reach her by mobile for some time.So, not only did they not get to see daughter, they couldn't see what state the roof is in. Ryanair had also over-booked-again!!!!
Liz, hope you receive some good news about a GOOD counsellor soon.

Am feeling bad about everything today, so will go lick my wounds.

Hope everyone is feeling better with whatever problem you have.

Eileen xx

Hi all, coughing like mad now, what joy, and had a noisy day yesterday with the neighbour and his fascia board replacement, oh for some peace and quiet!
Carole, you will be having a busy day on your birthday, hope you are pleased with the new furniture when it comes and it all looks as you imagined with your nice fresh carpets, they do get a big doggy sometimes don't they?
Glad the cbt seemed to go well and hope it will work, wish they could find me a cbt therapist, no one available who deals with hoarding around this neck of the woods.
I did ring the person in overall charge of therapies at MIND and told him how unhappy I am with how my appointments were stopped so suddenly through no fault of my own, he was also very soft spoken, sounded a bit of a drip to be honest, but he intends to look into it when Julie gets back from her fortnight off. He said the nlp chap isn't going to be working for or through them any more, all very odd!

Just did some sweaters and stuff in the new machine so they can hang round in the warm room and finish off while he is in work this morning, sadly he will be home early as it's Friday. I had thought I might try and get to an acquaintance's funeral today as I am not sure there will be many people there and that saddens me, but as o.h. is using the car this week and I am feeling rough, think I had better stay here and not spread any germs, his Mum must be in her late 70s or older, he was just 56 and single and had apparently been ill for some time, I hadn't bumped into him for a long time since I moved here.

I had a message from Betty that her cold is still hanging around so I guess she isn't feeling too good either. Hope she gets better soon and gets back on here.

Eileen, hope you are still feeling better and your grand daughter's roof isn't as bad as feared.

Jules, glad you and the family are settling in to your new home.

take care everyone, must get my messages finished before o.h. gets up for work.

love to all
Lizxxx

Been for my first meeting with the CBT today. He was easy to talk to, a little quietly spoken, which had me having to listen very carefully. I liked the way he used a white board to make notes and show me how he understood my explanation of my problem. Narrowing down where the problem actually is.

Hired a carpet cleaner today so been busy emptying a room to do then put furniture back and will do the other room tomorrow ready for the new furniture that is coming on Saturday. The carpet was smelling doggie!

Rach love has your doctor offered you and counselling?

Colin nice to see you x

Caz you take care not to over do it! x I know how easy it is to get carried away thinking you can help!

Eileen hope you have a lovely time with your family.xx

Alison I know you will dread the party but on the day it will be great. Oh's uncle lived on Addison Drive! He died a few years ago, but had lived in the same house he grew up in with his parents. He had never married.

Mary thinking of you and your family xx

Liz are you taking in washing? Do you like your new machine? xx

Anyone had any news of how Betty is?

Jules has moved to her new house and is feeling very at home. So that is good news. Hope she and her girls will be very happy there.xx

No Anne, of COURSE it's not GR's fault that things go pear-shaped. If so, they would not admit it.
Unfortunately, my daughter & husband are not here, they flew to Brittany, where daughter Camille & co lives. Sorry for not being clearer in my post.It's their house that needs the roof repairing, not mine. Am rather dreading hearing just how bad it is.
Cold and miserable here, don't know how it is over in the UK.

Eileen xx

good morning Eileen, so many people seem to have trouble with this site since they changed it. Yet GR insist it is not them.

Happy birthday to your Granddaughter, hope she enjoys her day. And nice for you to see your daughter from wales.

Love
ann x

Morning everyone,

Am just about ready to give up, the pc keeps sticking all the time, not on other sites or normal e-mail though.

Caz. Hope you really enjoy being in your new flat.Please let me know your new address when you have the time and strength to do so !

Had sent this, but remembered something silly which I did a couple of years ago.The toothpasts and face cream stood next to each other on the shelf in bathroom. Twice I smeared toothpaste on my face instead of cream.Now they stand apart, and I use a different cream which has another tube colour.This is really true, so Deanna, it is easilly done!

It is my grandaughter Camille's 23rd birthday today. My daughter and her husband have flown over from north Wales, where they have lived for the last months.Not only for the birthday, but for Rudi to (try) fix the roof of their house, together with son Finn tomorrow, weather permitting!

Take care, all of you, hope you have a good, uneventful day.

Eileen xx

Goodnight everyone sleep well and may all your dreams be happy ones
((((hugs))))) all round
Rachxx

YCaz, amazing what you can get rid of when you have to do it isn't it? I am sure though that it was a wrench to part with some of it. still you really will be more comfortable in a place that can be easier managed.
Don't forget to let me have the address.
Ann
glos xx

Well another load went this morning, nearly all my cook books and bird books, what's left I am taking with me. I also sent all my party dishes as I won't be having any big family parties anymore. Half of hubbys wardrobe went as he realised he could not fit into them anymore, shock, horror. I'm having a day of rest tomorrow as I nearly collapsed this morning trying to get everything bagged up. My sister and neice came to do it yesterday but of course we went to look at the flat instead.
Thanks to all who sent me good wishes, and hope everyone is feeling better than they were, especially Rach.
I am having to move because of disability Colin, I have a massive garden which I love but can't do anything in it anymore, hubby is too busy looking after me as well as working.

Love and hugs to all
Caz xx

As you so rightly say Mary, no-one is judgemental on this thread, that's why it is so wonderful.
Deanna, that stock cube in the Coffee thingy sounds delightful-I DON'T think, easy mistake to make though. Poor Allan.!
Gail, haven't heard from Angie since she sent me a mail to say her mum had died. So, I can only guess how she feels, the poor love.Hope against hope she has been to see her oncologist since.
Carole, didn't realise it was your birthday. How old are you now? I honestly have never given a hoot when people ask my age, only realise I am quite old when looking in the mirror, something I rarely do.
Take care everyone and be happy.

Love. Eileen. xx

Alison that is a great idea and don't forget your camera. Friends as wella s relatives have stories to tell.

Liz I hope the cold goes soon. A stupid ignorant woman coughed right into my face in Tesco yesterday, i just hope i don't catch her cough.

Rach you are welcome , any time, hope you are starting to feel a bit better now.

Colin, it sounds as if you made the right move (pun intended!) 20 years ago. My son and family live in MK and love it there but it is great for young families with a great network of cycle paths so youngsters don't have to cycle on roads. lots of clubs etc for the children and a good shopping centre. good access to the M1 and a railway station. however, for older people who don't drive I believe the bus service is not very good so they can become isolated and i don't know how they manage with doctors etc.

Ann
Glos

Hello
Gail, I got your pm but a bit slow replying.
Y-Caz, great. I moved into a flat because I couldn't handle the mowing etc. And I was only 40 at the time. I did grieve quite a lot over the old place (which was the house I grew up in) however. On the other hand, 20 years on I don't regret the move. Public transport is much better here and although I have a car it is easier to go to work by train/bus (not much slower !!!) or into the city for concerts and etc. I don't miss the gardening, but like indoor plants. They need just the right anount of light and water, though, don't they?
Treehunter, sounds like you are down. I don't know what the problem is with M K but it sounds like you really hate it. Is it a depressing area? The neighbours? Or just the buildings you're in? I still watch The Bill and some of those east and south London estates sound b--- awful.
Ben, have you got over your infatuation with the TV model? I don't think there's too much wrong with attraction; it's when you start to act inappropriately about it that there may be a problem. Whatever, please don't blame either yourself or the personality- it's not your fault, or hers.
For those concerned about the Victorian bushfires, Monday was a bad day. The situation has eased temporarily due to lower temperatures. But they desperately need rain.
I am some hundreds of miles north and we have had good rain so the situation here is not severe. But think about our Victorian friends. Colin