CBT therapy

[boi]

I am currently in therapy, cbt. I was wondering about something. I understand the notion of it all but sometimes I have a hard time applying new thoughts to real life situations. I mean is cbt therapy all about changing thought patterns. Is the past examined at all? My therapist helped me with a certain situation but I feel confused when I have to deal with stuff alone. How do I apply all this new knowledge? I feel like I cannot connect the two.
any thoughts?

 

[Into The Light]

cbt focuses on current thinking. let's say you are suffering from depression, in that case you tend to have distorted thinking where you logic is faulty (for example: i burned dinner. i will never be able to cook. i am a worthless person). cbt helps you determine what the faulty thinking is and how to correct it.

if you have had things happen to you in the past that you haven't processed yet, that are on your mind and don't seem to resolve themselves, cbt can't necessarily resolve it. for example if someone deeply hurt you, no amount of logic in the world can fix the hurt. you will need to work through the hurt. some logic may help (it all depends on the problem), but it can't all be resolved through logic.

i hope this makes sense.

 

[boi]

so does this mean I wont be resolving issues from the past?

 

[ladylore]

It doesn't mean that. Sometimes the faulty thinking is directly related to the belief systems we grew up with. In essence you are dealing with the past and the present at the same time. To directly deal with past issues I also have a trauma therapist.

 

[boi]

thanks for the feedback!

 

[Into The Light]

boi, i would speak to your therapist about this. if there are things from the past you need to work on and you are concerned you won't be, definitely discuss it with your therapist. initially cbt is focused on the here and now, and your thinking as it is today. be sure your therapist is aware you have things from the past you want to work on, and ask them if they will be able to work through that with you as well.

 

[boi]

Into the light, I dont know if my past is relevant, what I mean is, I have a hard time telling my therapist things. I wish my therapist was a mind reader. Sometimes I dont know if its the right time to bring things up when we are working on different things. Is there a right time?

 

[Into The Light]

no, i wouldn't say there is a right time - not in terms of your therapist anyway. it shouldn't matter to them when you bring things up.

i can relate to the mind-reading bit, very much so

 

[boi]

its funny how therapy works. If I am not depressed than there is not so much to talk about because things are going well. If I get depressed than I can obsess about so many more things. Being on medication and now I am not depressed I feel like its extremely hard to talk about things that effect me, because they only effect me when Im depressed. Does that make sense?
When not depressed I dont think about them as often and think that they are not a big deal

 

[ladylore]

I have found for myself that when I am feeling at my best is when therapy is most important. It helps to focus me on what is going well and how to maintain emotional health. Also, it's the every day stresses that may not seem like much that can take me back down that dark road. Talking about everyday matters helps me to keep things in perspective.