# CBT Therapy



## shappy127 (Oct 12, 2009)

Hi, this is Brendan and I just logged on here for the first time. I just wanted to know if anybody went through CBT. I go to a psychiatrist right now for my SA but heard CBT is the most effective at producing results. I tried looking for places around my area (Pittsburgh) that perform CBT but couldn't find anything. Also, from somebody who has been through it..how much does it cost and is it worth it? Is there a link that I can use to find cognitive-behavior therapists around the area?

Thanks


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## britisharrow (Jun 18, 2009)

CBT is effective but it takes time and a lot of effort, welcome to the group. I'm not in the USA so I don't know how you go about finding a therapist, I'm surprised there are not more replies to this post. I think it's because so much has been said already about CBT, you might want to do some searches through the forum search engine. Good luck and post some more questions I am sure you will get more replies.


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## paradox002 (Oct 13, 2009)

wad up Brandan! I'm new here too but I have bin doing cbt tape series from www.socialanxietyinstitute.com and its worth every penny I think its about 300 bucks I dont remember but its awsome it will help you a lot with SA, but takes time to really work and the theropist had social anxiety for over 20 years so he really knows what he's talking about you can also read the reviews at this site just click on treatment on top of this page and go to cbt tape series and you will find Thomas A Richard. good luck


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## RedWolf (Oct 14, 2009)

If you want immediate result, try exposure therapy instead.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

shappy127 said:


> Hi, this is Brendan and I just logged on here for the first time. I just wanted to know if anybody went through CBT. I go to a psychiatrist right now for my SA but heard CBT is the most effective at producing results. I tried looking for places around my area (Pittsburgh) that perform CBT but couldn't find anything. Also, from somebody who has been through it..how much does it cost and is it worth it? Is there a link that I can use to find cognitive-behavior therapists around the area?
> 
> Thanks


Call UPMC, they have a research dept. and are an excellent resource for finding you help. I haven't had CBT per se, but I think it sounds very helpful.


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## DelicateMelodies (May 4, 2009)

I haven't gone through it. But I have been wanting to go back into therapy before I started college, and was considering trying that kind. Its been a while since I read about it, but I believe it said in that form a therapy you are granted more spontaneous and abrupt access to speak with your therapist at all times. Which is the part that attracted me to it. The major problem I had in therapy in the past is I would have a lot I wanted to share, sort out, and get off my chest one day, would make the appointment, but by the time the appointment was due I usually was not feeling comfortable getting into to all that.


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## deeds14 (Jul 9, 2009)

Most therapists know how to do CBT. When you do your initial phone call to set something up, ask the receptionist if they do CBT.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

CBT IS effective and in this day and age, it's very popular and commonly used. Don't be afraid to ask what kind of therapy you'll be doing when you book an appointment.

CBT is a form of therapy that is so planned and structured that it can practically be done from a workbook (and it often is). For this reason, statistically it does REALLY well in studies because many variables are eliminated.

Other, longer-term and more individualized forms of therapy can be effective too, but need to be really adapted to each patient and this takes a lot of skill on the part of the therapist. Interpersonal therapy can be hugely beneficial if you find the right therapist, but because there ARE so many variables that can't be adequately controlled, it doesn't lend itself to being demonstrated as consistently effective as CBT in statistical studies.

CBT is for the most part intended to be short-term, and an allotment of maybe 16 sessions may be given for the course of therapy. Once you're done, you're done. It's almost like taking a class in this way (and you even get homework too!)

So it can't hurt to try it. As somebody pointed out, it takes a lot of time and effort. The homework I mentioned is a huge part of it, you're not just committing time to the actual therapy sessions alone. But it IS short-term.

All that being said, it might not necessarily be the best fit for you. It wasn't for me. 

I find the more traditional interpersonal therapy as being a lot more rewarding, where I can go and talk with my therapist about whatever I'm dealing with, without being judged. While she acts almost as my life-coach as well, she doesn't try to psychoanalyze me or dissect my subconscious, and although every once in a while she can nudge me in the right direction if I'm having difficulty working out my own motivations, she doesn't try to dictate to me what I'm thinking.

ESPECIALLY for social anxiety, this kind of therapy should have a lot of potential for people. When you're someone like I was with no friends and absolutely being terrified of divulging any personal information lest you be judged, someone to talk to like this can be hugely beneficial. Of course, it didn't happen overnight, and it really took me about 6 months of bi-weekly hour-long appointments to warm up to her, but it was definitely worth it. In a way it's almost exposure therapy for social phobics, and as you take those little baby steps with your therapist and see that you can show parts of yourself without being judged, it inevitably starts spreading to the rest of your life too. Maybe it's from my total lack of other social interaction but I find these kind of sessions REALLY FUN and constantly look forward to them. I know I'm not the only one who really has fun with this kind of therapy though.

I didn't get a whole lot of benefit from CBT personally, although I'm not going to discourage you from trying it as it is undoubtedly effective for many people. But it's all pretty much based on looking at your thoughts and behaviors, recognizing the irrationality, and fixing it, and I've always found that it doesn't matter how rationally I think about something, that anxiety is always there for me.


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## JoshC (Oct 18, 2009)

oh god! dont listen to the socialanxietyinstitute bump! im sorry but ive tried it, i actually got those tapes for free from a torrent hehe... anyway if youre strong minded it wont work. its basically trying to brainwash you. it does have some really positive handouts but i couldnt listen to that guy drone on and on about the "evil A.N.T.S" for 30 minutes a day. CBT seems to really help some people tho, though id try to find another venue. seems like theyre more concerned about getting your money then helping people. ps) if you watch the videos of people on their website that it supposedly helped, its apparent to me that they all still have very very severe SA.


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## cigcucut (Oct 28, 2009)

I accept with information:CBT is effective and in this day and age, it's very popular and commonly used. Don't be afraid to ask what kind of therapy you'll be doing when you book an appointment. CBT is a form of therapy that is so planned and structured .


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## Keith (Aug 30, 2008)

"Mind over mood" is a great cbt book look it up on amazon or something my therapist does mindfullness based cbt but you can learn tons on your own about cbt without actually seeing a therapist.Maybe a combination of the two will be a winner for you.Im sure theres other great cbt books out there. I need to stop being lazy cbt requires effort i been slacking fo far too long.


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