Client story 2

My feedback and advice for anyone thinking about starting CBT

"I decided to start CBT because I was suffering from severe anxiety that became progressively worse as the months went on. I was very down and couldn’t understand why I was feeling like this. I thought that it would pass and that I could get through it myself but it reached the point where it was time to get some help. I did some research and knew medication was available for it but I just didn’t want to go down that route. I came across CBT online and thought that it looked like a good option for me.

The things I wanted to address were mainly around changing my negative thoughts. I knew that would be a good starting point but I also wanted to find ways to cope the physical symptoms of anxiety in everyday life. I also wanted to find ways to deal with my reactions to social situations as this was becoming a source of extreme anxiety.

CBT has helped me to turn my life around and become the kind of person I always wanted to be.

The most valuable things I’ve learnt are that it is important to be compassionate to myself, to stop and evaluate situations, and to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety, using the excellent relaxation techniques that I was taught. I also learnt that supported self help is vital, and that it is an ongoing process. I also learnt to understand what makes me feel good about myself, as well as things that don’t make me feel good about myself. This is important, so that when I go through a patch of rocky confidence in the future, I will know what to do to help myself.

The most important practical changes I’ve made are using the relaxation techniques every day. They only take 2 seconds but have made such a massive difference to me. I have also begun doing the very things I feared – for example, it was a source of anxiety for me to join my colleagues for lunch. I decided to go for it one afternoon and despite feeling anxious, I participated. Now I join them for lunch regularly and have really begun to enjoy it. The more I did it the easier it became and I coached myself with positive self talk that I had learnt in my CBT sessions.

With the help of CBT my confidence has grown because I understand more about myself and the things that make me feel good. Because I know this, I can do more of it. My sense of inner calm has increased because rather than letting things escalate I now evaluate what is going on, coach myself with positive thoughts and end up making firm decisions by trusting myself. My relationships with family members have improved the most. This is because I have changed. I am happier in myself and am more positive than I have ever been and when they see that, they match it. This has created more harmony between us and I now appreciate the time we all spend together. This is the first time in my life I have felt like this.

The positive changes in me that other people have said they’ve noticed are that I am glowing! Others have said that I have really grown in confidence and seem very happy in myself. Because I put myself forward for things at work now rather than shy away, my manager has commented that she can see excellent leadership skills emerging. I have the strength to keep building on my progress because I now realise that supported self help is the key. CBT pointed me in the right direction and provided me with the tools I need to live a positive life.

I think that CBT is more than worth the money and I wouldn’t have the slightest hesitation in recommending it to anyone, because it works! It changed my life and helped me to grow into a positive person. To anyone thinking about whether to start CBT, my advice and encouragement is to go for it! Just try it. Even in my very first session I already knew that CBT was what I was looking for and I couldn’t wait to go back for the second! It’s natural to feel apprehensive at first and perhaps a little cynical about it, but it will change your life and provide you with invaluable tools to help you be the person you’ve always wanted to be. Before I started, I was worried about the financial impact for me but after the very first session I knew it would be a vital investment in myself and it has proved itself to be."

Read next client story

Client story 1

> Client story 2

Client story 3

Client story 4

Client story 5

Client story 6

Client story 7

Client story 8

Client story 9

Client story 10