Conclusions, and tying up loose ends.

Hello again.  It's been a while, and there is a good reason for that.

Since early December I have been going to cognitive behavioural therapy sessions, once every couple of weeks, and have now completed the full course they had set out for me.  I wanted to see the course out and re-evaluate things using a the tools they had taught me.  So, here goes.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY

In all honesty I didn't hold out a great deal of hope at the beginning of this route as to the use and validity of CBT.  I had heard various things, mostly good from people I know, but my doctor was never fully committed to the idea of it, saying it doesn't help that many people, and that he feels it is a 'fad'.

My initial thoughts were completely wrong.  CBT has been a breath of fresh air in my efforts to stop anxiety and depression.  It has given me the tools to reassess situations and work at challenging the thought processes and patterns.  By rationalising my worries and concerns, it takes the fear away and makes them easier to deal with.  I have also found by these methods that now when I have a wobble, or a bad day that I accept it for what it is and work at getting through it.  I have noticed that while there has been a couple of wobbles in recent weeks It has been easy to calmly step back from the situation, and strip the anxiety out of it by challenging the worries causing it.  By rationalising it and being more level headed it gives you a chance to take a moment to catch a breath, and catch yourself before a fall.

And so onto tying up the other loose ends...

POSITIVITY

Positive thinking can also be a huge game changer when working on anxiety and depression.  A simple thing that a friend noticed once helped change my thinking.  When people asked how I was i would reply 'not bad'.  Not bad doesn't sound like a positive response really, so I now say 'good thanks'.  A little trick like this can certainly help frame the day in a different light.

SUPPORT NETWORKS

Everyone will know someone suffering from varying levels of depression and anxiety, or they may be the one stuck in the rut themselves.  At all points on the journey to finding your way onto a more level playing field it is paramount to have people around you who understand your situation.  People who love, care and want to help.  I am incredibly lucky to have a great number of family and friends willing to look out for me on down days.  If you know someone suffering from anxiety or depression related illnesses don't take the 'well, i don't know what to say to them' route.  Just letting them know you are there is a great help.  You don't need to know the inner workings of the mind, you just need to be willing to be lent on from time to time while they pick themselves up.

As I've always said, just because the person isn't wounded on the outside, it doesn't mean they aren't hurting on the inside.  It takes a bigger person to admit to needing help than one who 'mans up' and says nothing is going on.  If they are big enough to speak up in saying they need help, the friends around them should be big enough to rally round.

EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION

I have learnt a huge amount of things about depression and anxiety along the way in the past few months or so, and as the saying goes knowledge is power.  For my own personal experiences the more I have learnt the easier it has been to stem the tide.  It has made it possible to be more aware of my own state of mind.

On the grand scale, organisations like mind, and time to change are doing an incredible job in giving the topic the credibility it deserves.  But there are still the people who can't see the full picture and dismiss it as nothing more than a strange foible.  People who are frightened to speak to others with these issues, people they may have known for a long time but have drifted away when it happened should realise the person they knew is still there, they are just trapped in a place they don't want to be.  Treating them like some sort of social leper is never going to help them move forward.  Try sending them a text, just ask them how they are doing.

The other thing would be to educate yourself.  Look things up on Time To Change, and learn that the only thing holding you back from properly helping is a lack of understanding.

AND FINALLY....

I've been pleasantly surprised by the amount of support the blog has received over it's course and would like to thank all the people who have stood by me.  I reiterate that this blog is not some kind of attention seeking 'look at me' page.  I wanted to help myself by opening up, and hopefully help others by letting them read and 'feel' what it's like. 

I know there will still be bumps in the road, highs and lows.  That's life.  But now I feel a hell of a lot better equipped to cope.

Thank you and goodnight.