Cognitive Therapy

[dotty.]

I've read about what it is, but how would it fit into my life when I work 5 days a week?

[ummmm]

Isn't it about changing the way you think?

[dotty.]

So far I've read that it is about attitude and possibly prioritising, (I took a book downstairs during my break and had a quiick sken but it had lots of big words : ( )

[ummmm]

They use it at the psychiatric hospital I worked at...

Did I read correctly...have you been diagnosed with ME?

[dotty.]

yes Ummm, just reading up on things about it and rang my union to ask about what happens, apparently they have to do a risk assessment for me, it's wierd for me being the one with problems, I'm usually the one getting annoyed at staff letting me down and going off sick and so It's abit of pay back I suppose : (

[rov1200]

Taken from an article:

///Cognitive therapy seeks to help the patient overcome difficulties by identifying and changing dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. This involves helping patients develop skills for modifying beliefs, identifying distorted thinking, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors. Treatment is based on collaboration between patient and therapist and on testing beliefs. Therapy may consist of testing the assumptions which one makes and identifying how certain of one's usually-unquestioned thoughts are distorted, unrealistic and unhelpful///

[ummmm]

Well it's slightly more than getting 'sick' isn't it?

How are you feeling emotionally?

I have a friend with it :-(

[dotty.]

I dunno really, I'm abit blinkered and went to work today and gave 100% but now feel lousy, I read that there might be mood swings but I don't tend to do cheerful and so noone would notice,

[dotty.]

It the aches and pains and the palpatations that are bothering me really, the cognitive therapy is supposed to help with the pacing and planning

[ummmm]

Are you actually going to see a therapist?

[dotty.]

Not that I know of, I go back to my GP at the end of the week, no idea what for, I'm a champion at not listening me. Maybe I shouldn't read too much yet until the doc speaks to me again, he wouldn;t have known that i would be straight away googling and researchiung it,

[ummmm]

I would have thought you'd need to see one...it's like re-training your brain. And teaching you coping methods.

[mrs_overall]

Dot - my teenage daughter has been having sessions of CBT (for reasons I dont want to divulge on here) and it has helped her no end.
Go for it!

[jno]

dotty, this is a huge oversimplification, but it's a sort of quicker version of psychotherapy - instead of going into therapy for years like Woody Allen to work out why you feel the way you do, you learn how your thinking affects your feeling, so you can work on your thoughts without having to delve into your babyhood to find out where they came from.

http://www.netdoctor....ivetherapy_000439.htm

Is that actually what you need?

[dotty.]

blimey, do you really think I could do therapy? I'd not let em get a word in

[ummmm]

It does work...but I've only seen it on mental health problems.

[mrs_overall]

In CBT you do most of the talking - you'd be in your element lol

[ummmm]

You'll be fine...

[dotty.]

I thought it was a physical condition caused by a virus, but that this therapt helped you cope with changes in your everyday behavior. I think I'm pretty stable mentally and emotionally. Am I?

[mrs_overall]

dot, if you want a chat about it, I know we have a mutual friend on FB - i could add you as a friend.

I wont be offended if you say no

[jno]

you sound like it, dotty! Like ummmm says, I think this is usually best suited to mental health issues and I wouldn't have thought of it as suiting you. Why not wait and see just how upsetting your illness is?

(I should say I've not tried it myself so can't speak from experience.)