Anyone been through successful therapy for anxiety?
Friday, July 31st, 2009 at
9:29 pm
I am currently in therapy for SAD and GAD. I don’t feel like the therapy is working. The therapist and I just discuss anxiety provoking moments and irrational thoughts (but he admits I already know the irrational thoughts and cognitive behavioral stuff). Should we be doing something else? Please only people with experiences reply.
Filed under: Anxiety Attacks
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I am in therapy for agoraphobia, bipolar disorder and other anxiety disorders.
I am taking medication but I don’t see much difference. My biggest help has come from a handful of things. The biggest one being coping skills. I have asked my doctor’s repeatedly to help me with coping skill ideas. Rather than drugging me more it is important for me to find skills that will help when facing situations that cause anxiety. Like my biggest fear…fire. My focus of my agoraphobia is that I am terrified that my house will catch on fire while I am away so I have to rush home constantly and will not leave because I know this will occur. My coping skill has been to do a thorough check of my home, being certain to check the stove and turning off all appliances (including the dishwasher, dryer, etc.) My biggest part of my coping skill here is the idea I tell myself constantly. "If it is on fire, what am I going to do about it? Besides, I am very well insured. I’ll just rebuild and rebuild better and bigger."
One other important part of making things easier for you is to take responsibility for your illness…realizing that you do certain things out of fear and those fears are not necessarily "real" fears even though they are real to you…but it sounds as if you have already done this.
Ask your therapist for coping skills to help you in the situations you encounter.