CBT, which stands for Cognitive Behacvioural Therapy, is a very common and popular treatment for both depression and anxiety, and CFS/ME. I originally wrote this post when I had just started CBT, and this time it really did help.
Read on to find out more about my experience.
I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety all my life (or at least as long as I can remember), and it’s really made life hard. I struggle to get through even the simplest of days without being overwhelmed with worry and it has taken over pretty much every area of my life.
I have recently started CBT in an effort to tackle my low mood and anxiety once and for all. After sitting back and letting it get the better of me for so many years I’ve decided it is time to take action so I don’t have to continue this way anymore.
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How CBT is helping me improve my mood.
You need to be ready to take action.
CBT is not an easy thing to do. In fact, it’s a lot easier to not do anything about it, but doing nothing also means that nothing will change.
Everyone reaches this point at different times. It’s important that you’re physically and emotionally ready to make a change, because there is a lot of hard work involved and it’s not going to work if you don’t actually try.
It’s okay to start and stop, and keep trying, because when it comes to improving your mental health there is no such thing as failure. Just be aware that there is some work to be done, but it is worth it.
How has it helped me so far?
CBT so far has actually been really good for me.
It has helped me to identify the patterns in my behaviour that make my mental health worse. I feel worse when I’ve been unproductive, or when I feel like I haven’t achieved anything.
I had no idea what my true hobbies were, I wasn’t getting pleasure from anything, and now I have rediscovered my true love for writing. I have identified which tasks or activities use up the most energy or take the most effort for me, so I can space them out through the week.
I have relearned how to function throughout the day fairly normally (I say fairly as I know I’m not quite there yet, it’s a work in progress). I have really thought about what I need to do each day to overcome the obstacles that prevent me from getting things done, and I am becoming more successful at it.
It’s not for everyone.
Like anything, CBT isn’t for everyone.
There are people in my group who aren’t getting as much out of it as me, but they are getting SOMETHING.
Even if you don’t think it is for you, it is worth investing your time in to make a little bit of change in your life, at least as a starting point to something greater. It is a practical way of looking at your life and making small changes, instead of focusing on the emotional side – which for me can make things a lot worse.
I am looking forward to sharing more with you all as I continue on this journey – and if you’re interested in starting with CBT yourself then check out my CBT based resources to see if they can help!
Have any of you tried CBT? How have you got on with it?
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