shorebird
08-23-2007, 06:23 PM
I was on and off meds and in and out of therapy and tried nearly everything before I found the help I had longed for. I suffered horrible panic attacks along with my general anxiety and depression. I was even told by several different doctors and therapists that I would be on meds for the rest of my life (which would have been okay with me if they worked better for me). Cbt has helped me by far more than anything else I have tried and I like I already said, I went through a lot of different meds and therapies in the past. I am med free and feeling great these days and cbt started working in a matter of less than two months, but you need to work at the cbt exercises to get them to become ingrained. I still do the tea form exercise almost daily to keep in practice and strengthen the new anxiety resistant pathways in my brain. If you can't afford to join a cbt group you can teach yourself through books at your local library on cbt. See if they have Been there, Done That? DO THIS! by sam obitz. We used this book in my group and it is an excellent introduction to cbt because it is simple, encouraging and so short it is not likely to overwhelm you with information before you finish reading it. Cbt seems to simplistic at first glance but if you work at it the new ways of thinking can change your life. I was on meds while I was learning cbt which was helpful for me because I was too panicky without them at the time and they leveled me off to a point where I could really apply myself to getting better and focus on the cbt exercises and exposures. I hope this is encouraging and helpful to everyone.