CBT - opinions?

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Emily_20x
Emily_20x Posts: 175 Member
in Motivation and Support
I didn't really know where to post this topic cause it's not fitness related.

I was recommended to start CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) a while ago but I turned it down cause I had a lot of other things going on.

I was wondering what it is like? Falling back in to depression and an eating disorder is rough and I wanna try stop it before it gets really bad again. I have a lot of moodswings as well, low self esteem etc. I was asked to consider anti-depressants but they are reluctant to give them to me as I'm only 19 and wanted to try other things first; counselling, therapy etc which I have done in the past.

How time consuming is it? I don't want to pick it up if I'm not going to be able to fit everything around it, ie university, working out, I work part time which involves travelling an hour or so there and then back as well. My shifts are pretty all over at the moment and can be changed on the day.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    It works very well, as long as you work it. It's not something that happens TO you, you have to be an active participant in the therapy. It's not the type of thing that has a defined timeline for everyone -- the length of time and schedule depends on you, your issues, and your therapist.

    It seems like you're a little unclear about the concept in general. Here are some good resources:

    http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm
    http://www.beckinstitute.org/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/
    http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform_Yourself/About_Mental_Illness/About_Treatments_and_Supports/Cognitive_Behavioral_Therapy1.htm
  • Emily_20x
    Emily_20x Posts: 175 Member
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    I had a little look on google for some pros and cons of it cause I didn't want to go to my appointment with student well-being and say I'll go on a waiting list, wait and then it not be right for me. I'll probably have to be assessed again before they offer it to me.

    Some people online said it was very time consuming and with a lot of other things going on I wanted to see how consuming it would be. Like after the sessions and stuff. When I did therapy for my eating disorder I had a recovery book type thing which I had to do after each session and then record all my food and feelings which was extremely time consuming.

    Thanks for the links :)
  • poodlenoodlemuffin
    poodlenoodlemuffin Posts: 23 Member
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    I've never had it, but I have a couple of friends who it's worked/ working for quite well. None of them really mentioned how much time they had to dedicate to it (although one of them, who's still having regular weekly sessions, gripes about "homework"), but surely your mental health is worth dedicating some time and attention to even if other areas of your life are pretty full?
  • Emily_20x
    Emily_20x Posts: 175 Member
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    Yeah it is, I need to sort things out with university and work to see how I can have a regular routine and fit it all together. I really struggle with routine and need one for things to seem 'normal' and in order. I'm trying to get an idea whether this will be too much and to try an alternative method or make more time for this and cut something else out.
  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
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    but surely your mental health is worth dedicating some time and attention to even if other areas of your life are pretty full?

    Please make the time, even if you have to change your work, school, etc. schedule. It's worth it in the long run.
  • Emily_20x
    Emily_20x Posts: 175 Member
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    I will definitely make the time this time around.

    Once I know my timetable for university I can take it in to work and find out when I'm able to do therapy. There will be a waiting list but I can change my work schedule afterwards. I'm working at the moment 25-30 hours a week but once I'm back at university my hours will go down to 12 so I should manage uni with work. I'll try and get the same hours each week with work so there's a solid routine there. Then uni will be the same near enough each week. A good routine will help me and is what I need.

    When I was seeing the eating disorder specialist I found it extremely hard to fit it in to my uni schedule and I wasn't even working at that point. University is pretty time consuming with a lot of assignments but once it's all sorted I should get in to a proper routine.

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