[dr461]

I have had several questions about Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and how long it takes for results to manifest themselves. This is a difficult question to answer, as it varies from individual to individual. First, it takes a skilled therapist and a receptive patient. Second, it depends on how badly one wishes to change. Third, it depends how deeply the fears are rooted, and how long one tends to hold onto them. Fourth, it is directly proportional to how much work the patient does on his/her own. In my case, I found that reprogramming my mind to not go for "the worst case outcome" in my consciousness took a while--a couple of months. I was a bit resistant to give up the panic fears, as they were a part of me for so long.

Now, I am able to do "thought replacement," and alternative senarios pretty easily. I have had a superb therapist, who is very receptive to all ideas, and a very supportive family doctor, who believes in Talk Therapy. This last factor is crucially important--one of the reasons I sought out a clinical psychologist is that no psychiatrist in my area does talk therapy whatsoever--they are all "pill pushers." My family doctor is happy to provide SSRIs and tranquilizers as necessary, so I did not need a shrink to do the "medical" component.

CBT does help immeasurably, and it has made me a lot happier, and less prone to freaking out at every last symptom ( I will always get symptoms, since I am somatically aware), and am in the process of not letting them rule my life.

[Katie]

Good to know, thanks for the thorough answer. I didn't know that therapists didn't just do talk therapy. Wow! I went to a therapist when I was younger because of family issues and so did my brothers who both tried to commit suicide and not one of us was offered pills so I'm shocked by the news that they do now. In fact I didn't even know that they could perscribe them. I guess I'm stuck in the dark ages!