CBT uses what is called “fact-based evidence.” Mental health issues can spiral out of control. Using this method people learn to reign in their emotions and thoughts. Like I said in part one, I battled 38 years before getting help. Before trying meditation music and mindful meditation, applying anything else felt like an endless battle. We are all in different places in our mental health journey. We are all individuals, our own personalities and our own way of thinking and believing. That is why we need to repeatedly try different methods to find what will work for us. Remember, just because it didn’t work once doesn’t mean it never will help you. PTSD, MST, depression and mental health issues tend to cause us to default to negative thinking.
These issues can make us not only sad, but other possible experiences are also having poor concentration, irritability, feeling isolated, poor concentration and feeling numb. Physical issues such as headaches, poor memory and bringing harm to us and others are also possibilities. When your irritable you may feel there is no point in doing what you’re thinking about, you feel you won’t enjoy it. Feeling isolated makes us to sometimes withdraw from others. To avoid situations and places. At times even causing difficulty sleeping.
With CBT you will learn how to deal with anxiety. When experiencing this we can find ourselves in a fight or flight response. Why? We can fear danger, a need to survive and difficulty in confronting the very things that are causing us to feel this way. When I was able to get counseling, I described my feelings as gloomy. You could say it was like a sense of dread. Would find myself having what my husband called, “jimmy legs.” My legs will get a constant shaking motion of up and down, which happens when I am sitting down and feeling anxious.
Have you ever felt like you were on pins and needles? Feelings of being sick or butterflies in your stomach? Constant need to go to the bathroom? These are some of the things we can experience with anxiety. Some other things I have experienced has been being nervous; dizzy, talking or doing things faster and tunnel vision. CBT is meant to provide us with steps to overcome or control these. Not only have your probably experienced these symptoms. How about panic palpitations, tightness in your chest and feeling the possibility of fainting?
If you’re getting counseling, ask the counselor if they would recommend CBT. Asks them to provide a way to possibility of obtaining this opportunity. Evidence based practice can help us to learn a more positive approach to our thought process. You will gain skills to provide what is often called S.M.A.R.T. goals. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time limited. You will learn short term, medium term and long-term goals. These will provide you with a more manageable road map (GPS) to follow. Part three we will look at smart goals.
