# How to continue self help?



## Delicate (May 23, 2008)

I've been through a one on one therapy programe and found some parts of it very helpful and useful but I seem build comfort zones too quickly. When I was going through therapy I was also unemployed so I was exposing myself to stressful situations just by job hunting. Now therapy's over I've found it harder to keep up the exercises that I learned there and since I started working in a new job I've got too involved in a specific routine and doing more daunting things is becoming as petrifiying as it was to begin with which is really frustrating me and I'm becoming very avoidant which I don't want to do.

I know some people here have found helpful audio tapes and books and I've spent alot of time looking at different sources not to find that much help. I've been reading the book "Feel the fear and do it anyway" which I find somewhat helpful but I find the author kind of irritating at times. One part I thought was good was how she suggests keeping positive reminders and affirmations around you all the time until it becomes second nature to think positively. I really struggle to keep it up I know it takes practice but it's frustrating. I've gone quite selectively though the music I'll listen to so it's more of an upbeat selection, I realise to some that might sound stupid but I find it helps to not have depressing messages circling around.

I've just been listening to free audio tapes on here http://www.selftherapy.org/listen/ and I like the topics they bring up but there's not enough in the 9 free tracks, much of what I'd already learned from therapy but if you're just starting out in recovery it could be helpful in how you view anxiety. There are a couple of meditations but I just found myself drifting off when I tried to go through them lol. Some other aurdio tapes I've tried I found the author not very engaging.

Has anyone got any thoughts about self help programes or about keeping up your recovery post therapy? Or what about working on affirmations and automatic thoughts? I know it's possible to work on these things and to be accepting of anxious feelings because I've felt that way since getting help but it's so hard to keep it up and to even notice these things most of the time so I feel like I'm falling back and that I need some guidance!


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## cooldude03 (Jul 28, 2007)

I've done counsouling and books/audiotapes. I've found the workbooks by Edmund J. Bourne are excellent. They used to be in bookstores (maybe still are) but you can definitely get them online and probably cheaper, too. In counsouling they talked about the same things he does (relaxation exercises and stuff), but I actually found the book went into more detail and explained things better than my grad student therapist. While the therapist went into more depth about family relationships. I can only say that his book will cover things a therapist would (as far as what to do) and do so in more depth. Some of the stuff about alternative medicine I find a bit frightening and I would ignore that chapter.


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## mjhea0 (Oct 1, 2009)

Hey there. I'm struggling with some of the same things. I am still in therapy, but I'm trying to work through a CBT series on my own (http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f43/social-anxiety-institutes-cbt-series-log-102328/). Everyday is a struggle; it's very hard to work on CBT when anxiety brings me so down.

I think you touched on the most important things in your post: practice. I know it's hard, but persistence and patience is the most important thing. It may help to invest money in something, as you may be more likely to actually use it because of the initial investment.


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## Delicate (May 23, 2008)

cooldude03 said:


> I've done counsouling and books/audiotapes. I've found the workbooks by Edmund J. Bourne are excellent. They used to be in bookstores (maybe still are) but you can definitely get them online and probably cheaper, too. In counsouling they talked about the same things he does (relaxation exercises and stuff), but I actually found the book went into more detail and explained things better than my grad student therapist. While the therapist went into more depth about family relationships. I can only say that his book will cover things a therapist would (as far as what to do) and do so in more depth. Some of the stuff about alternative medicine I find a bit frightening and I would ignore that chapter.


 That's the type of thing I was thinking about, they sound good I'll have a look a little bit later when I get a chance. I guess that's what's good about seeing a one on one therapist that they can be much more personal and know your triggers. I think I would have liked to have been given more exposure exercises in therapy like some people here mention because the CBT I had helped you to react to new situations mentally but then if you lose practice of putting yourself in the situation it feels like moving backwards. Thanks for sharing your experience with audio tapes.



mjhea0 said:


> Hey there. I'm struggling with some of the same things. I am still in therapy, but I'm trying to work through a CBT series on my own (http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f43/social-anxiety-institutes-cbt-series-log-102328/). Everyday is a struggle; it's very hard to work on CBT when anxiety brings me so down.
> 
> I think you touched on the most important things in your post: practice. I know it's hard, but persistence and patience is the most important thing. It may help to invest money in something, as you may be more likely to actually use it because of the initial investment.


 That's a good idea I think, to do your own thing at the same time as therapy it'll make it easier for when it's over. How are you finding it? I'll read through your log fully when I get a chance but it looks interesting. Yeah I understand what you mean about investing. Sometimes I'd feel like I was being ripped off though you know since you can't tell if it'd help until you've shelled out alot of money.


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## mjhea0 (Oct 1, 2009)

Delicate said:


> That's a good idea I think, to do your own thing at the same time as therapy it'll make it easier for when it's over. How are you finding it? I'll read through your log fully when I get a chance but it looks interesting. Yeah I understand what you mean about investing. Sometimes I'd feel like I was being ripped off though you know since you can't tell if it'd help until you've shelled out alot of money.


Yeah, coupling mindfulness-based therapy with CBT has been great. CBT is based on mindfulness, because if you can't recognize your negative thoughts, the cognitive techniques won't do any good. I know what you mean. Sometimes it's hard to know whether something will actually work. You just have to try, though. You'll never know until you can try. You can make a more informed decision though by checking out reviews of certain treatments, especially on this forum.


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