Posted by Miss Honeychurch on February 24, 2005, at 12:06:49
In reply to cognitive therapy - the ultimate downer?, posted by hffcookie on February 24, 2005, at 11:42:52
Cookie,
When I started CBT over a year ago, I felt much like you do. What a total downer! I also was feeling I NEEDED love from others. However, as therapy progressed, it became quite obvious to me that all of these NEEDS which I had neen imposing on myself were causing me much distress and anxiety. There is so much to CBT. I have however finally accepted that the only love I NEED is from myself. And while I may actually really want and desire the love of others, I don't NEED it.
CBT has helped me dispute lots of irrational thinking which I never knew I had. And even 6 months into therapy, I was feeling CBT was kind of pathetic in its low expectations kind of way.
But guess what? The longer I have been applying its principles, and working hard at it, the more it has been working for me. I now go much longer between depressive and anxious episodes, and when I do have them, they last half as long, mainly due to the skills I have learned thru CBT.
I know CBT is not for everyone, but it has worked for me and improved my quality of life immensely. Once you begin to put what you've learned into practice and it actually works for you, I don't think you'll see it as quite so downing.
poster:Miss Honeychurch
thread:462693
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050218/msgs/462703.html