Posted by ocdforyears on January 7, 2004, at 1:28:21
In reply to Re: Therapist Orientation? CBT or psychodynamic?, posted by naiad on January 6, 2004, at 11:40:35
Naiad,
wow. I'm actually amazed someone read the post, and even responded. Sounds silly, but this is my first experience with this kind of board.
And I was in a hurry and wrapping up... sorry for the confusion.
I'm not a therapist, just a long-term client. But I do want to know what I need to do to get well. I think the cognitive model is hot right now, largely because it's marketed well and because you can measure its results quickly in a quasi-scientific manner. Eighty percent of people with ocd feel somewhat better one year after CBT therapy according to a survey; like that.
It's harder to evaluate other forms of therapy, maybe, and those groups doing other kinds of work aren't taking surveys, I guess. But I'm suspicious of any therapy which tells me I don't have to go and feel my old pain/anger whatever; that all I have to do is change my thinking. Why not both?
And I guess what I was trying to say is that pure behaviorists (and I've only seen one as a client, and only one session) seem to misunderstand what happens in other forms of therapy. I know that's a big generalization, but I don't think other, non-cognitive models of therapy are just about understanding behavior, they're about processing emotion. I would be very curious, though, to hear from someone who's done long term CBT, and only that, for depression or anxiety or obsessions. I have to admit, I could be wrong. Maybe there is a shorter path.
And this is all sounding so cerebreal to me now, like a class discussion. And like cross talk, but I hope this helps a little. What I can say is that emotions, expressed in any way but especially in a safe environment, play a large role in healing my depression/anxiety. It is scary to release them. Sometimes I process in more 'safe,' solo ways: I write, or I exercise while thinking about what's bothering me; I even have this friend I leave honest voice messages with (sometimes an answering machine feels less frightening than a live person, though we share that way on the phone once a week.
Sure there is tremendous healing in sharing with a therapist, in a meeting, but when I can't get that I am able to let pain out solo, and there's no risk of being hurt. It may be one place to start anyway.
And the last thing I'll say (and I know I write a lot) is that the whole CBT/meds/feelings therapy thing confuses me also. If I had acid reflux disease or something, there would be a single agreed upon cure. Here, go take the purple pill. In this area, some docs tell me it's all biological, some say it's all trauma based, and some all due to lousy thinking (or at least that's the only way I can control my problem, through cognitive changes). I like the therapist who uses all these things, or is open to them. To get physically healthy, I eat right, and exercise, and take vitamins. Why not try the multiple approach in therapy?
The great triangle of healing: receiving love from others and self, releasing feeling, thinking correctly.
But I have to stop now, I sound like Dr. Phil. Really I'm just a hurting person trying to make it like all the rest.
Best of luck naiad. And cool boardname.
poster:ocdforyears
thread:293462
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040102/msgs/297488.html