Hi I would like to ask,if anyone on here has had Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and If so, felt any benefit from it?
Hi have been having CBT for 3 months it is very good, it's not easy it's draining and upseting depending on your reasons of course, it has shown me why I am like I am with my thinking and teaching me that my thoughts are just thoughts nothing else.
I would recommend it but take tissues and be prepared to un pack lots of boxes !
thanks Kate, yes I did feel it,would be like you describe. However my concern is more about whether it has helped anyone with their symptoms of vertigo. I know I have always been On the sensitive side my whole life, but have always been able to,live a normal life, but this problem came on overnight,which I have been led to believe was probably a virus. anything else that has developed mind wise has come along due to not getting a diagnosis or treatment that's worked, along with the frustrations of Drs etc pushing me from pillar,to,post.
The aim is to help u think differently no matter what u suffering from Its not going to take your symptoms away but u know that.
I find it very hard as sitting for an hr upset my dizziness is horrid but that doesn't mean it will be the same for u its well worth a try
Well tbh Kate what I want is a treatment for my symptoms, not my thought processes so I am. Not holding my breath., as when. I asked the Physio today if it would help she led me to believe it,would, so now I am feeling more fed up than I was before I left home this morning!
That's interesting how does the physio say it will help ? R they anxiety led or does anxiety play a part ?
well I,m not sure. we have discussed anxiety of course as obviously most,of us who have it long term, especially When it is daily, not 'bouts', get anxious, so,she seemed to feel as the exercises were not helping I would benefit from the CBT. I'm asked her if other people,she knew that hadn,t responded to the VRT had felt better and she said Yes. But now reading what,you have said it makes more sense that the physical,aspect will not be affected in a positive way. Yes, maybe my attitude will be able,to change a bit, but tbh that very much depends, for me,,on how I am doing on the physical,side of things, and if that,s not improving, then my mindset Isn.t,going to be either. Have also exchanged this with a friend who,has similar,probs to me and has,actually done CBT and she says it,did not help her at all! I am not the kind of person who does 'mind over matter' stuff, so it is not looking good, and the time it will take for referral, etc etc, in the meantime going into year 5 of every single,day having symptoms, I am not inclined to be putting out the flags!!!
I found your suspicion to be true when I went for CBT. I began with a psychologist, and of all things one that had suffered from Meniere's, and all she wanted to do was to try to psycho-analyze me. I'm sitting there thinking you of all people ought to know that my issue is dealing with the day to day feelings in my head from the dizziness and not that I need to re-visit my childhood. That is the issue with a psychologist is finding one that can help with the CBT and recognize that it is a coping strategy and not a matter of retraining one's attitudes towards things. The trouble is that is what they are trained to do, they cannot see our health issue so they think it must be that you had something happen in your past that you need to resolve.
Two good books that helped me that I would recommend are "Panic Attacks Workbook" by David Carbonell and "the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" by Edmund Bourne. The Carbonell book was the best to me. I have found along this journey that only fellow sufferers of this condition understand anything that I say in relation to how it makes you feel and are also the only ones that understand the frustration in being passed from doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist, seaching for answers.
Hope this helps in your search. Best of luck with whatever you choose.
HI Gillian,
I am undergoing CBT at present. I find it ok but not sure that it is really helping that much. The therapist thinks I have my anxiety under control but is obviously unable to advise or help with my VN sypmtoms. As anxiety is part of the condition I have often said to her that if my dizziness went my anxiety would also go. I do find the relaxation techniques useful (I was given a CD). I will continue going as I feel there are some benfits.
Best wishes
thank tou Teery for confirming my thoughts. I am sorry to,say that whoever I see will end up seeing will be getting short shrift from me, because after 4, nearly 5 years of this, and going into my 67th year, I am I. No mood for being bloody analysed.! I have done, on my own over the years, many types,of introspection, analysis of how I tick etc etc., so,these people who were probably still in school,when I was doing all that, and come along with this new fangled CBT, which is just another name for shrink, are not,going to be very pleased with me I am afraid. they will,probably report backmthatnimam uncooperative, well,so be it. I need my symptoms dealing with and then as you,and a lot of us say, my anxiety will,fly out he window!!
Tbh Terry I don,t get panic attacks, nor am I particularly anxious, I am more fed up, cheesed off and downhearted, annoyed! (that would be translated into depression no doubt, let,s not even go there!),and I have told,Dr after Dr, this, but it goes in one ear and out the other because 'cheesed off' etc doesn't, 'fit' their , whatever it,is they use to translate patients descriptions into medical jargon. I will,have a look,at the Books you mention on line anyway, thanks again Terry, you,ve been very helpful.
Hi Laurence, Thank,you also for your experience of CBT. May inask how long, ie sessions and time you have been doing it? As you say the relaxation techniques may help a bit and I will take advantage of that (if I get that), up I a. Going to. Ale sure I keep,saying exactly what you,ve said,manat once he symptoms go so,will any anxiety! what these people,don,t get is that the actual anxiety is worse at the beginning, when than whe you'd,ve had it long term. Because after a while you learn to cope,with certain aspects,of the symptoms. and as I am retired I can just go to bed when I am feeling rough,I'm don,t have to get through a work day etc that would,of,course cause more anxiety. I guess also, as
terrynsays, it,s all down to who,you get!!mthanks again Laurence.
Hi Gillian,
I have been suffering with VN for the past 5 months and have not worked for the past 4 months. I would of had my 4th CBT session yesterday but unfortunately felt to unwell to attend (very dizzy). No doubt my anxiety will be through the roof on Monday as I will be seeing the neurologits for the results of my MRI/MRA scan, this is when the relaxtion techniques come in useful (together with 2mg of diazipam!), the brethaing and mindfulness techniques do tend to help me to calm down.
I would suggest giving it a go.
best wishes
Hi Laurence, hey don,t get anxious over the MRI results, it is usually a anti climax anyway! Nine and a half times out of ten, they come up as 'normal' (I,ve had three over the 5 years). they do them To Rule Out stuff, and not really as a diagnostic tool, which is a shame for most of us they could make more use of them I feel. I asked The last time if they would do it with dye as that shows up small stuff not always seen, but they wouldn't,t, why? God knows! at least you have a definitive diagnosis, all I get it. 'Chronic Disequiliberium' which means nowt! don,t know if you have seen the book I recommend people,to look at (on Line), 'The Brain that Changes Itself', someone on a .facebook,page sent me the link and i seem to have got the whole,book! Only read the first chapter as thatnismthe one that relates to,our problem. If you want to PM me with an email address I'll send it to you and u can have a butchers over the weekend before your appointment!
Hi Gillian,
Yes I have seen the first chapter of the book you mention (I looked this up following a reply you made to someone else recently).
I was due to have dye with my scan last Moday but they chose not to inject this in the end as the scan apparently came out very clear. But I did also inform them that I am allergic to quite a few drugs/medications so they did not want to take the risk.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could all pop a pill and our balance and lives would go back to normal. Unfortunately I am still of the working age (56) so being off work gives me further concerns as I am not sure how much loger my employer will tolerate my sickness.
Anyway, thanks for your reassurance.
Best wishes
hi
I did 13 sessions of CBT for CSD to try and help with the slow pacing of VRT. If I'm honest it didn't help me and made me feel a bit uncomfortable being analysed on every word I said but that may have just been the therapist. The therapist tried to get me to see ways in which I could cope with the illness and never about curing it and always about not wanting to be what I was like before. I agree with the others do take a tissue with you. Having CSD I found it hard to sit for an hour without feeling sick, I couldn't concentrate, I got my words mixed up and I felt very disorientated. Perhaps if CSD is caused by anxiety (mine wasn't) then CBT would be good to get to the bottom of what makes someone anxious as anxiety definitely triggers dizziness. I'm a believer that you should never say no to something until you've given it a good try- you never know it may help. For me VRT and balance Physio has been the most successful but perhaps it's like the tapes you used to get in the olden days on how to stop smoking where you would listen to them on your Walkman playing overnight and hope it sunk into you by the morning 😀
Yes this is what I am not looking forward to. I will give it a try, but as soon as words come out of the therapists mouth that I feel are going In The wrong direction, I will be stopping them there and then! I will say I did not come to be analysed, and all that kind of thing, but for,tools,to,help me cope with my vertigo symptoms, and if they cannot provide them,mthen I am Wasting their time.
I must admit I too asked after my first session that I could not see the relevance of why so many questions were being asked about my childhood, or jobs I had 10 years ago and what relavance that had to me being perfectly healthy, happy and well on one day and then my world being turned upside down the following day. It felt very much like anything I had said would be the reason for the dizziness. good luck- I would give it a go - you cant lose and you could do what I did constantly and say " So in your opinion - why am I dizzy?'
Ha ha, love it!!! I Will remember that question and definitely use it. What was the answer? also,when you asked how come your jobs and childhood related to your physical! Dizziness, what did they say then ? It is a fob off Isn,t it!! I haven,t waited four years for this I can tell you, in fact I actually find it a bit insulting, and I feel,sorry for whoever ends up being my therapist as I am too old for this!!!
I was told it could be due to the fact that I held a stressful job 10 years ago. I think I huffed alot that day. In all seriousness though, we did explore how I could change my previous lifestyle to fit in with dizziness. Im not sure how that sort of "throw it your face that you cant do it anymore" type of therapy works though - it just made me more determined not to give up and go back to where I was and I'm not sure another 13 sessions would have changed my mind.
I have heard though in my group that it does help though so I would try and keep an open mind about it (so they can read it  
Just had feedback from good friend of mine who had it years ago,said it was rubbish and we (she and I) could prob do better job ourselves! Imwill go, but am afraid Imwill,be the one doing the interviewing!! Ha ha!