# CBT in the UK help, please?



## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

hi! anybody out the had/or having CBT in England? because i really need to get on to the therapy, but dont know the best way to find it. i live near northampton and after being told by my counsellor that (on my 7th session) i havent really got any better, at all, and i can only have a limited number of sessions, i told myself i'm gonna go hardcore. lol. oh... please help me, someone?


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

Would suggest speaking to your GP and letting him/her know this is the type of treatment you are seeking, why this is, and asking their advice. As this is pretty much how I got referred to a CBT therapist back in 2007, when last receiving CBT sessions. Although unfortunately, if you're going through the NHS system, it does often mean that you're put on a waiting list for some time before sessions are allocated to you. 

Hope that helps. ;-)


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

Go to your Doctor, that's the best way. I have my psychiatric assessment at a mental health day hospital this Friday. The beauty of the system in the UK is that we get healthcare for free


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

thanks you 2. much appreciated  wasnt expecting any replies till tomorrow. i'm not due to go to the doctor again for about a month and a half for a medication review (i hope he can see that the citalopram aint working anymore), and i really dont want to go before then as i dont want to be annoying and needy. i've already been to the doctor more in the last 7 months than i have probably in my entire life. 
but being annoying and needy is more important than leaving it till i'm due to see him again and probably never mention it, right? :'(


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

solitarymonkey said:


> thanks you 2. much appreciated  wasnt expecting any replies till tomorrow. i'm not due to go to the doctor again for about a month and a half for a medication review (i hope he can see that the citalopram aint working anymore), and i really dont want to go before then as i dont want to be annoying and needy. i've already been to the doctor more in the last 7 months than i have probably in my entire life.
> but being annoying and needy is more important than leaving it till i'm due to see him again and probably never mention it, right? :'(


Doctor's are being paid to look after us, that's what they're there for, and we can go and see them as many times as we like as long as we have a genuine concern or problem, and you do.

I've been to the Doctor's a lot in the past few months due to SA, and she was pleased to see me every time because she wants me to get better.


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

i always feel that he think's "oh christ, just deal with it already". dunno why. could be a misinterpretation of his tone of voice due to the fact he's foreign. could just be my imagination. i'll try n see if a friend of mine can come with me to sit in the waiting room or summat. 
thanks  i'll try n see the doctor somepoint this week, or at least make an appointment. i hope i dont have to wait too long for CBT. 
thank you.


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

solitarymonkey said:


> thanks you 2. much appreciated  wasnt expecting any replies till tomorrow. i'm not due to go to the doctor again for about a month and a half for a medication review (i hope he can see that the citalopram aint working anymore), and i really dont want to go before then as i dont want to be annoying and needy. i've already been to the doctor more in the last 7 months than i have probably in my entire life.
> but being annoying and needy is more important than leaving it till i'm due to see him again and probably never mention it, right? :'(


No probs at all ;-)

Agreeing with what Fairyxo said above. Though can fully appreciate where you're coming from in feeling that way. I've often put off making appointments with my doctor as a result of worrying over that type of thing. Still, it's not being annoying or needy when you genuinely have a medical problem and it's heavily impacting upon how you function in every day life. It's very important to have a doctor's support in these cases, and SA is no exception.

Good luck with everything! Hope that things work out ok for you.


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## tutliputli (Feb 22, 2009)

I agree with what others have said - see your GP and explain you'd like to try CBT. They'll probably put you on a waiting list which can be quite a long wait. If you can afford it or your parents will help you out you could see someone privately which is what I did. It was £120 for initial assessment and then £75 per session after that. Good luck!


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

what are the sessions like? obviously i'd like to go private for summat like this. but i really doubt i can afford it, especially in the long run over the course of time to complete. i'm really hoping to call the doctor, or actually walk in to make the apointment tomorrow. i tried to call today, but by the time i actually managed to do more than stare at my phone in fear and dial (was at work, which was stressfull and didnt help), they closed u.u very sad and annoying...


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

well, i've just got back from the doctors!! such a nerve racking experience!! and i was only making an appointment!! >.< urgh... i hate this! anyway.. nerves aside. i'm seeing a doctor on the 15th of april and i'm really hoping that they refer me to a therapist. thanks for the support, ladies  much appreciated. i wonder what they'll say if i mention i think i may be bi-polar, too? >.<


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

solitarymonkey said:


> what are the sessions like?.


Speaking from my own past experience, for me the majority of the CBT sessions I attended in 2007 were pretty useful. There were times that I would feel anxious (particularly at the beginning when as with yourself I wasn't sure of what to expect) but this got better as time went on and I became more used to attending them. The only thing which proved to be a problem in my case was that I was only allocated about 12 sessions as that was all the clinic in question could offer me at the time. For some people I'm sure that's plenty. But for me, though they were enough to enable me to learn about and grasp basic concepts of how to apply CBT techniques in an attempt to reduce my anxiety they weren't enough to gain the extent of knowledge I needed to properly tackle my issues. This is why I'm currently on a waiting list for further treatment through the NHS at the moment.



solitarymonkey said:


> well, i've just got back from the doctors!! such a nerve racking experience!! and i was only making an appointment!! >.< urgh... i hate this! anyway.. nerves aside. i'm seeing a doctor on the 15th of april and i'm really hoping that they refer me to a therapist. thanks for the support, ladies  much appreciated. i wonder what they'll say if i mention i think i may be bi-polar, too? >.<


Well done for going through with visiting and making the appointment! For one, I can appreciate exactly why you found it so nerve wracking as also hate visiting my doctor.

Glad to know that it won't be too long till you get to see someone. I hope all goes well. Good luck with everything!


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

Black_Widow said:


> Well done for going through with visiting and making the appointment! For one, I can appreciate exactly why you found it so nerve wracking as also hate visiting my doctor.
> 
> Glad to know that it won't be too long till you get to see someone. I hope all goes well. Good luck with everything!


thanks  nearly shed a tear, there. lol. so silly of me. but thank you.
how long are you having to wait on the list for? i'm sure it'll be very different all over the country, tho, but just as an idea.


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

solitarymonkey said:


> thanks  nearly shed a tear, there. lol. so silly of me. but thank you.
> how long are you having to wait on the list for? i'm sure it'll be very different all over the country, tho, but just as an idea.


No probs at all ;-)

I'm hoping in advance that this won't make you feel discouraged, as it's possible that you might find that your situation turns out to be totally different to mine ;-) But at any rate, 
the first time I was referred for CBT therapy through my GP (back in 2007), I only had to wait a matter of weeks so it wasn't long at all since I started seeing a therapist.

However, unfortunately, since trying this again towards the end of 2008, I've been on a waiting list for much longer. As the mental health services clinic I saw a therapist through on the first occasion felt that it would be better to re-refer me onto a different one as felt this would better suit my situation. As a result I had to wait for approximately 5 months to have a face to face assessment appointment - which I had yesterday. I was told, by the end of the appointment, that while the clinic are happy to consider me for further CBT treatment, it's possible I will have to wait for up to another 6 months before I can receive further sessions - though it won't necessarily be the case. I was told I'm going to be getting a telephone call in the next week or two to confirm things. I'm really hoping that that doesn't turn out to be the case, but at the same time realise there's unfortunately not too much I can do about the situation at this point in time.


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

wow... that's a long time! best of luck with getting that sorted asap 
i dont find it discouraging, because i promised myself and colleague who i'm in a tight situation with, that i'll get myself sorted out. plus, i dont expect it to be quick. it is the NHS, after all  lol. 
what's a couple of months to what we've been suffering for so many years?


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

In my case - unfortunately - it's already been 5 months that I've been waiting for further help, and now I'm looking at another possible 6 months on top of that. That would make it just under a year. And because my family - who I'm heavily reliant upon right now - are currently going through serious financial difficulties which means it's a big struggle for them to support me - that's really not good news as it means that for all that time I can't work. Though of course, that's just me. You might well find that you only have to wait a matter of weeks or just a couple months as you say. ;-)


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

do you get depression at all? and if so, do you get it bad coz of ur SA? i think a year would be way to long for me. lol. i dont feel stable enough to last that long.


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

solitarymonkey said:


> do you get depression at all? and if so, do you get it bad coz of ur SA? i think a year would be way to long for me. lol. i dont feel stable enough to last that long.


Yup, certainly do. And that's pretty much just what my private reaction was yesterday when first hearing that from the guy I saw. Although I didn't tell him that at the time, as at the end of the day the situation isn't really within his control.

One thing that I have done since, however, is pick up a self help book on Anxiety and Depression which I'm currently reading through at the moment. I'd already been considering picking it up for a while - though wasn't sure whether or not before it'd be worth it as initially thought once I'd attended yesterday's appointment it'd be likely I'd be seeing a CBT therapist again in the near future. After getting the news I did though, I decided I was going to go ahead and get it - as felt I had to do something. I already own a few other self help books, but it's looking to me right now as if this one is likely to be more useful than most of them and I'm planning on using some of the suggestions in it to see if this helps me make some further head way on my own - as figure by this point I don't have anything to lose by it. I am more than happy to let you know the details, as well as recommend a few other books, if this is something you would be interested in at all ?


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

It didn't take long for me to get referred - I have my first appointment this Friday, and it was the end of February/start of March that I was referred.


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

Fairyxo said:


> It didn't take long for me to get referred - I have my first appointment this Friday, and it was the end of February/start of March that I was referred.


what county do you live in? am glad to hear how quick it was for you!  i'd you to hear how friday goes for you!

and Black_Widow, as poor as my concentration and attention span may be, the worst i could do is at least look into it  thanks


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

solitarymonkey said:


> what county do you live in? am glad to hear how quick it was for you!  i'd you to hear how friday goes for you!


I'm in Scotland


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## solitarymonkey (Feb 15, 2009)

Fairyxo said:


> I'm in Scotland


fair enough  well, let me know how friday goes, if you wouldnt mind  thank you


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

Yeah course i'll let you know


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## tutliputli (Feb 22, 2009)

solitarymonkey said:


> what are the sessions like? obviously i'd like to go private for summat like this. but i really doubt i can afford it, especially in the long run over the course of time to complete. i'm really hoping to call the doctor, or actually walk in to make the apointment tomorrow. i tried to call today, but by the time i actually managed to do more than stare at my phone in fear and dial (was at work, which was stressfull and didnt help), they closed u.u very sad and annoying...


Sorry I took so long to reply! Don't get much internet access  If your parents can help you out I'd really recommend seeing someone privately. There's no waiting list and in my experience the therapy is of a much higher quality. The initial assessment involves the therapist identifying the key issues/ problems you want to address and they will probably ask you quite a lot of questions about them to find out what you need help with. It's a good idea to think about these things before you go in just in case you have a mind-blank-moment like I do when I'm anxious. The actual therapy sessions involve getting you to identify and challenge your negative or irrational thoughts by thinking of alternative, more reasonable ones. You will probably be asked to write down literally every negative or unhelpful thought you have, which can be really hard work! Then you have to think of a more helpful thought to replace the unhelpful one. They might also give you homework tasks to do in your own time - some of mine were to observe other people interacting and write down what I saw, and to make my body language less 'closed'. I hope it works out for you and hope we've helped a bit! Let us know how you get on


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