Thursday, February 10, 2011

Take that you dirty black dog

So just wanted to share with you today what the cognitive behaviour program (CBT) is all about.  The hospital that offers this program has been delivering it since 1983 and it must be recognised as one of the best around as there were participants from all around Australia in my group.  Confidentiality is a must; so no mention of names, details etc will be shared.

The CBT program is a comprehensive and intense program for anxiety and depression.  It demonstrates the role of learned patterns of behaviour in maintaining, or worsening, anxiety and depression and teaches strategies to allow participants to use alternative methods of coping in order to minimise or eliminate symptoms.

The course is run for three weeks and you can attend as an inpatient or outpatient.  I won't go further into content as that is protected by copyright but feel free to email me if you would like information regarding the hospital that runs this program.

I found the facilitators were mostly all fabulous.  They were open, welcoming, approachable and showed empathy where needed.  You were provided with further one on one therapy twice a week during the time of the course.

Some of the participants have done other CBT courses and could only rave at how effective and fantastic this course compares to others.  As this is my first and hopefully only time I can't comment.  BUT, I did agree that it offers effective skills and tools you can use in everyday life.

This is not a quick fix and will take many hours of continued practice to successfully apply these components into my life.  Challenging unhelpful thoughts and negative headtalk is a life learned habit so it will not improve overnight.

There is also a weekly follow up you can elect to attend either during the day or at night.  I have been to the first follow up and am committed to returning for as long as it takes.

That dirty black dog is still currently a constant companion.  He is good at heeling but I plan to make him beg and then roll over and die.

                                          taken from blackdoginstitute.org.au/

Take care
Laura

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