Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Had my visit with the psych yesterday and we worked some more on the CBT and I am slowly getting the hang of it.
It looks so easy at first but have realised its not, but I will get there. Basically it is breaking down irrational thoughts and behaviours in a logical way through writing down the Action you were doing, then the thoughts that caused the anxiety and finally the consequence and feelings that came from the thoughts. Even though I haven’t got it down pat, I have quickly seen (when it is written on paper) how irrational my thoughts are and how my thoughts, not the action, cause the consequence. So I got a lot out of yesterdays visit.
My task for this week is to face my agoraphobia and attempt walking out to the letterbox, I usually stop there while driving in, and use the CBT and the breathing exercises to lower my anxiety.
Then I went to my GROW meeting which was also very helpful, I had finished my first task and reported back on that. My task for this week is to begin to understand my feelings better as I have ignored and buried them for such a long time now that I don’t know how to describe them any more. It is great at GROW as I can expand on the session I have had with my psych instead of working in two different directions.
Tonight Chloe and Rory are taking me out for Mother’s Day dinner, I have spent all week trying not to think about it, so I don’t talk myself out of going, its only 4 hours to go and I am still feeling comfortable about going even though my anxiety levels are rising about it.