Who has tried therapy for a cure?

[japa]

I am wondering who has tried therapy seriously as a possible cure for the phobia? By seriously, I mean committing to therapy sessions for the length of time it takes to feel less afraid, not just one or two sessions and then giving up on it.


I have found that therapy has proven to be an absolute godsend for me. It has helped me in so many ways in my life in general. I have a lot of faith in the ability of a therapist that one trusts to bring about healing in a person's life. You really have to stick with it though, and you also have to invest energy in finding a therapist that you can trust. If the therapist is good, then he or she will be able to work with the phobia even if that requires learning more about it in order to do so.


Anyway, who has tried therapy seriously? If so, what were your experiences? If not, what prevents you from trying it?

[matchstix]

I have tried three types of therapy. Firstly I went to a cognative psycologist for two or so years, very nice to chat to but no help. Then I tried hypnotherapy for six months which was again, relaxing (yet expensive) but I could't be hypnotised, I was too scared it would make me dizzy and then I would V*. Lastly I went to the Priory hospital (kind of private mental health hospital ) Because I had gotten to the point of weighing only seven stone and never eating or leaving the house. The psychiartrist immediately put me on amytriptyline (which I tried to refuse) and In conjunction with that, I was referred to a behavioral professeur who was amazing at helping people with panic disorders. He gave me a video to watch of people being sick and told me to watch it twelve times then come back to him and he'd give me a more graphic one!!! Haven't seen him since though I do go back to the hospital every 3 months to be checked up and get more medication. I so wish one of these therapys would have worked for me but sofar no luck .....

[japa]

Well, that's pretty interesting.


I've been hypnotized once. It doesn't make you dizzy or make you sick, so if you ever want to try again, let down your guard, you'll be fine.


It's a shame that you onlychatted to the cognitive therapist because those therapists are supposed to help you to retrain your thought patterns in a very active way over a much shorter time period than say, a psychodynamic therapist would, the ones who like to return back to childhood origins. If you ever wanted to do therapy again, I would try to find a more proactive cognitive therapist. Some of them offer homework assignments that help you to retrain your phobic thoughts. It's really a matter of finding a good therapist.

[japa]

I was also thinking that a couple of people have mentioned being helped by books.


One good cognitive therapy based book is called THE FEELING GOOD HANDBOOK by Dr. David Burns. It has exercises that deal with anxious thoughts and depression based thoughts.


Another book is by Matthew McKay, Martha Davis, and Patrick Fanning. It's called Taking COntrol of your Moods and your Life: A Thoughts and Feelings Workbook. It was also once published under the title THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS. It has plenty of exercises about retraining anxiety thoughts. If one cannot afford therapy, books such as these, when worked with seriously can provide relief.

[japa]

For example, here is something useful from the Thoughts and feelings book:


"A panic, once initiated, will last no more than two or three minutes if you stop all catastrophic and anxiety-maintaining thoughts. Because adrenaline from your fight-or-flight reaction takes three minutes or less to be metabolized, your panic must end unless new anxious thoughts cause the release of more adrenaline.


This is the most importantfact to remember about panic - it can't last more than three minutes if you stop scaring yourself with anxious thoughts. To control your panic, you will learn to control your thoughts" (95). Edited by: japa

[snowangel]

Could someone let me know if the hypnotism worked for them. I am going May 16

[crazybeautiful]

I have had therapy. At first I wasn't willing to put forth the effort and thought it wouldn't work.


I had CBT and I think it improved my fear, I'm still afraid, BUT I can now do the things I couldn't before (such as go out to eat, public places, ect).


I would go back if I needed anytime too.

[tink]

I have gone to talk with someone several times, but unfortunately it didnt work out very well. I have had 3 people tell me that I was doing great and didnt need to continue seeing them. Very discouraging. I am very happy that you have have been succesful with yours. That really gives me hope.

--Kim

[sage]

Well, I'll throw my hat into this one - although most of you know what I'll say.


Yes, I tried therapy for many years. Some worked, most didn't. I got really angry and upset at the whole therapy profession, because I was DETERMINED to get cured, but no one seemed to be able to help.


Then I finally found someone 4 years ago who DID help. It took 50 sessions, and I was VERY committed to the process. It was great, and I am completely symptom-free. Since then, I have had an additional 85 hours of therapy...I keep going and whittling away at the underlying issues that brought on the phobia in the first place. I also want to keep in close contact with a therapist so I NEVER have to worry about the symptoms returning.


My story is at the top of the "treatments" thread. I'm currently writing a book with the therapist that helped treat me successfully.


You go japa! Keep up the good work.


As for the others, don't worry - what works for one doesn't work for another. Matchstik honey, I hear you...you sound like me....I tried ELEVEN therapists who did diddly-squat for me until I finally found one I clicked with. So you hang in there.


Good luck to everyone!

[terified girl]

The problem is trying to find the right therapist, but in the process you are dishing out alot of money for this trial and error bs. That's what I find so hard for me. I don't have money to throw away, and so its hard for me to say I'll even go see a therapist because I am afraid of not clicking with them, and then being disappointed and having to start again and not to mention the bucks you blew on that dr.

[shiva]

It is definitely frustrating trying to find the right therapist. It literally took me 10 years and thousands of dollars. For ten years I was constantly in therapy. None of them, not one, understood. Finally I found one who did. Ironically at the time I found her I was very fed up with this phobia (and in a new way.. not the same old way.. I was 100% ready) and she was a great, understanding psychologist. I really think the fact that she, too has a phobia helped tremendously. It helped me open up to her and trust that she wouldn't judge me and it helped that she understood what I was going through. I don't care how educated a person is. Until they feel the panic, they have no real clue how debilitating it can be.


I don't think that ANY therapy will help anyone unless they are truely ready to fix themselves. I really feel that some people on a subconscious level (I'm not pointing ANY fingers here.. I'm talking about people and illness in general) enjoy being unwell. Either the attention or the excuse for why they live as they do. I really feel this epidemic exists especially in the United States. I think we LOVE to be sick and handicapped. We seem to love when a professional says there's nothing to be done, we have a "disorder", so we can take a pill (or bandaid) and ignore the REAL problem at hand. I KNOW that we don't do it consciously, but I swear we feed into that. Think about fibromyalgia, IBS, or chronic fatigue syndrome.. These diseases all have underlying psychological issues. But, how often does a doctor suggest relaxation or therapy? Nope.. Here's a pill and good luck with that. That's what we get. And I am starting to think that we get that because doctor's know that it is what we want. We don't seem to want to work hard anymore to make things better. We love the freaking bandaid fix. Americans are lazy. It's an epidemic.


Hypnotherapy.. I went to one session. It was amazing. I felt so great and relaxed for about 6 weeks after. The thing is, at this time in my life I was not ready and I wanted a quick fix. I was unwilling to do my part. Hypnotherapy is all about the power you have within yourself. If you are unwilling to do the work each day to keep yourself incheck then don't waste your time. It is hard work and a lot of relaxation techniques at home on your own. I think if someone is ready, then hypnotherapy would be a great treatment.

[japa]

Very interesting responses ... thanks for the replies.

[snowangel]

Thanks to all for the responses as well...

[sage]

Terrified girl - I totally getcha. The money, not to mention the time and effort wasted is VERY frustrating. I can fully understand if you don't have the bucks to shell out. However, be sure (and I'm not saying this applies to you) that you really DON'T have the money vs. not wanting to spend it on your own sanity. I know of many people who have left therapy cuz they couldn't "afford it", only to find out they'd bought or leased a car....or a million other things that cost money. What's more valuable than a life of peace, joy and sanity? I don't get it.


Again, not saying that's your story...


If I had it to do over again, I'd have spent more time and money searching for a cure long before I had children. The kids cost a fortune, and I was terrified the whole time they were young. Now they're grown up, and I'm fairly well-off so I can see a therapist until I die. But I can't get back those years with those kids.


...just a few thoughts....


...and the fact there are so many IDIOTS out there claiming to be therapists really pisses me off.

[terified girl]

Yes that is the frustrating part...


I think for me, a big part of not doing the therapy is my bf because he's the one who seems to think I can beat this thing on my own, if I do the mind over matter crap. He suffered from panic 5 years ago for about a year, I'll say, and then one day he just told himself enough. And it worked for him.


Well I've tried explaining that his came out in his 30's and lasted a whole year, while mine's been a part of me since a baby and its been 25 years, which is longer to turn the brain around.


Its hard to be with someone who doesn't understand but its even harder when they do but they're fought it off, and expect the same from you.

[japa]

Yes, I agree with what you are saying here for myself. I started in therapy when I was getting my master's degree. I had a free counselor at the university but those are short term counseling situations. I graduated and could no longer see him, and I was referred to someone outside. I had very little money, and I began working as an adjunct writing instructor in college and continued to make little money because this does not pay much. Yet because I was in such emotional pain, I spent my money on the therapy and even added a bit to my debts to do so.


It does come down to a decision where you are spending money on your own life and your own sanity. Of course if I can't buy food for myself or pay my rent, then that comes before therapy, but aside from minimum needs, therapy became a something that I felt I needed for my survival emotionally.


Now that I have been working with the same therapist for an ongoing period, and she knows that I am serious about things, she has worked out affordable payment arrangements with me. I am in graduate school again, and everyone knows that grad students are poor.


So yeah, I definitely put my money toward possible cures.

Terrified girl - I totally getcha. The money, not to mention the time and effort wasted is VERY frustrating. I can fully understand if you don't have the bucks to shell out. However, be sure (and I'm not saying this applies to you) that you really DON'T have the money vs. not wanting to spend it on your own sanity. I know of many people who have left therapy cuz they couldn't "afford it", only to find out they'd bought or leased a car....or a million other things that cost money. What's more valuable than a life of peace, joy and sanity? I don't get it.


Again, not saying that's your story...


If I had it to do over again, I'd have spent more time and money searching for a cure long before I had children. The kids cost a fortune, and I was terrified the whole time they were young. Now they're grown up, and I'm fairly well-off so I can see a therapist until I die. But I can't get back those years with those kids.


...just a few thoughts....


...and the fact there are so many IDIOTS out there claiming to be therapists really pisses me off.

Edited by: japa