Posted by mattdds on June 8, 2003, at 18:31:03
In reply to Re: Another CBT question. Very specific. » mattdds, posted by Dinah on June 8, 2003, at 16:27:27
>>I really do believe that OCD, in some cases anyway, serves a useful purpose. Mind you, like most dysfunctional coping tools, it also causes problems. And perhaps in some cases it is a simple brain glitch where thoughts repeat. But I really do believe that in some cases it works as a pressure valve, or a better simile might be a controlled burn in a forest fire.
Absoulutely! I'm in 100% agreement here about this. Obsessive thoughts tend to get exacerbated when coping mechanisms fail. This is undisputed. I like your analogy of "whack-the-mole" (I hate that game!), it is so accurate. I think that CBT that fails to strengthen coping mechanisms is not really CBT, but cosmetic, patching psychotherapy.
I know when I am procrastinating things or otherwise avoiding dealing with something, I get an upsurge in generalized anxiety and panic attacks (which is just my own flavor of a pathological, psychic safety valve).
David Burns (sorry to mention his name again, but...) is a strong believer in this, and uses the "Hidden Emotion Technique", which is based on the assumption that anxiety (especially obsessive anxiety) stems from issues that are not being dealt with.
Do you have a tendency to procrastinate? Do you get overwhelmed easily? I ask this because you mentioned in your post to Shar that you had some things that you had let go (e.g. diet, finances). Certainly, if you are worried about these things on one level and are ignoring them, they could get expressed in some weird ways. I'm with Frued on this one!
So how about a *specific*, real-life problem that you are avoiding / not coping with well? These are highly accessible to CBT. Perhaps more than anything else!
I have learned some things that help with procrastination for me. If you are interested, I can start a new discussion or continue this one.
>>OK, I'm trying to be open minded and flexible about CBT. If you could try to be open minded about what I'm about to say, I'd appreciate it.
Sorry if I sounded dogmatic or pushy. One of my major flaws is trying to help people who don't solicit it; I do it with my whole family. It's like me getting new glasses and saying "hey, try these on, they really work!". Although I really am convinced (on nearly all levels) that CBT can be of at least some help to almost everyone.
So I apologize if I have sounded preachy. And I'll try to just listen better, how's that?
Best,
Matt
poster:mattdds
thread:230572
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030529/msgs/232462.html