Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT)

[SAS]

Group cognitive-behavioral therapy is designed to help you practice new methods of dealing with situations that might lead to anxiety. In a safe group environment, you are encouraged to confront your anxiety and change the way you think and feel about certain social circumstances. It is important that all members of a CBT group be diagnosed with SAD specifically.

Group cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown through several decades of research to be very effective in the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder. Often, the group sessions give patients an opportunity to reinforce the behavioral component of CBT and work through their cognitive changes in a safe environment.

When choosing a CBT group, it is important that all members are diagnosed with clinical social anxiety. While group therapies work well for other disorders related to depression and anxiety, the best results have been shown when CBT groups are focused only on social anxiety and do not include patients with other disorders. Of course, it is not always possible to find a CBT group that is only for SAD, but one exists in your area, it is a better solution than one that is not so focused.

In these group sessions, individuals work through their newly-learned cognitive steps by dealing with situations that might normally produce anxiety, in a toned-down form. It is through the repetition of these new behaviors that the cognitive processes used to deal with anxiety-producing situations eventually changes.

[Jmoney]

My life has turned completely around since I finished my cbt group. My anxiety was heavy GAD and Panic but I also has SAD with it and I am a completely different and happier person now. I also recommend the thought countering exercise in the cbt book by Sam Obitz we used in our group called the TEA form exercise. All you need to do them is a pen or pencil and a piece of paper and if you do them for awhile it changes how you look at things to a more realistic and positive view which serves you to feel soo much better.
If you join a group and do the exercises you will likely feel so much better like me and it has been years since my group ended

[foxy]

i had the complete oppisite reaction to cbt ,i was the only guy in a group of 12 ladies//well 11 because one ran out he door before we made a start/// we had 8 one hour sessions that ran for 8 weeks on the nhs//some women left worse than the start///the hole therory is fight an flight//dont run or panick at nothing or situations//they said the therory came from cave men who would shed there bodily functions so they would be lighter in weight to run from animals//load of ****,anxierty if likened to soldgier,s going into battle ,the loose the bodily functions//they tried to say those feelings arnt real just anxierty//we already new that but who wants to **** themselves on a bus or in a supermarket through anxierty its real an cbt wont stop that

[poeticinjustice]

I went to an outpatient clinic for a few months and CBT was the main thing we covered. It helped me tremendously.

[foxy]

Originally Posted by poeticinjustice

I went to an outpatient clinic for a few months and CBT was the main thing we covered. It helped me tremendously.

mabye it was the stella made you mellow///got you back baby// but seriously one of my daughters from a relationship// was like you an it changed he life..she is the head now of an ortistic school

[Jmoney]

Foxy,
First where was your cbt course? I have never heard of a group course that short. Most cbt courses run from 12-24 weeks in length. To have success you need to counter your thoughts in the TEA forms everyday over the course of treatment as in cbt the real work is done not at the group but in between sessions. I still use this exercise and feel better than I ever have and it has been a Godsend for me in my life.
Regardless of whether you try it again or not I hope you do find something that helps you with your anxiety.

[foxy]

Originally Posted by Jmoney

Foxy,
First where was your cbt course? I have never heard of a group course that short. Most cbt courses run from 12-24 weeks in length. To have success you need to counter your thoughts in the TEA forms everyday over the course of treatment as in cbt the real work is done not at the group but in between sessions. I still use this exercise and feel better than I ever have and it has been a Godsend for me in my life.
Regardless of whether you try it again or not I hope you do find something that helps you with your anxiety.

ENGLAND Mansfied notts , there is only 1 course at a time so 24 weeks would see two course,s of 10 people a year. thats why its 8 week,s

[Jmoney]

Thx for the reply Foxy. I'm in the USA and it is done a lot differently here I guess. Sorry it didn't work for you, worrked wonders for me. Too bad you can't try one of the courses over here
I hope you find something that helps you

[Ciaran]

I've been doing CBT for two weeks,and although we are just now starting on learning about changing thinking patterns and stuff,I have found that just being in a room with 7 or 8 other people and being able to talk openly with each other about the problems we encounter with our SA has helped me quite a bit.I'm actually looking forward to going back each week because I know it's helping me to manage my anxiety.A person who completed the previous group also attends the sessions and gives us advice and he seems like the calmest person in the world,hopefully in 14 weeks time that will be me!

I'm doing a 14 week course and each group lasts 2 and a half hours and there is also a follow up meeting once a fortnight once the course is completed.

[bucketofhope]

Does anyone know of any CBT groups in Oklahoma City? Have yet to find any here

[Jmoney]

Originally Posted by Ciaran

I've been doing CBT for two weeks,and although we are just now starting on learning about changing thinking patterns and stuff,I have found that just being in a room with 7 or 8 other people and being able to talk openly with each other about the problems we encounter with our SA has helped me quite a bit.I'm actually looking forward to going back each week because I know it's helping me to manage my anxiety.A person who completed the previous group also attends the sessions and gives us advice and he seems like the calmest person in the world,hopefully in 14 weeks time that will be me!

I'm doing a 14 week course and each group lasts 2 and a half hours and there is also a follow up meeting once a fortnight once the course is completed.

Hi Ciaran,
how did your group end up working out for you? I sure hope you are feeling a lot better now

[Jmoney]

Originally Posted by bucketofhope

Does anyone know of any CBT groups in Oklahoma City? Have yet to find any here

You may want to call your local colleges and see if any have cbt programs because if they do they will likely be running groups through them.

[angus]

I

[foxy]

Originally Posted by angus

I

WTF

[Jmoney]

LOL Foxy.... Extreme egotism I guess

[JenN2791]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but you can take on this without a counselor right? I have yet to find an effective psychologist at my school (and can't afford to see one at a medical office or anything), so I've been trying to train myself to think more positively as well since I have a TERRIBLE habit of being so negative about things, bringing myself down, etc.

[determination]

So I saw a psychologist for the first time today and he said I would benefit more from group therapy (though he didn't know I was on phenibut at the time) so I have a cognitive behavioral group therapy session on Thursday (day after tomorrow) and am really nervous. I'm not sure if I'm going to take any pills before hand (diazepam, phenibut etc). I will post back here after the session giving my thoughts.

Edit: So I had the first individual psychologist session on tuesday, then the cbgt session on thursday. I decided to go into the cbgt totally sober, I did not take any diazepam, phenibut, propranolol or anything. I was pretty anxious but it was a good kind of nervous. Most of the people there were much older than me. I'm 18 they were all late 20s-late 30s. Personally from my experience so far the cbgt seems like it is a better option than simply individual therapy although I'm sure the combination of the two is ideal. So in the session I got there a tad bit late which I actually felt good about because everyone was already having a conversation. They introduced themselves which was a bit awkward as can be expected, but after a few minutes I was having quite a great, genuine conversation. It was actually a good conversation and the first time I've talked to other people face to face with social anxiety I thoroughly enjoyed it. After the 10min convo the psychologist came in and he talked to us about distorted thoughts, evidence for and against thoughts (thoughts like people are judging me negatively etc) and corrected or rational, realistic thoughts. It really drove home the point that my paraonoia really is unrealistic and one thing it helped me with is I always think people are looking at me/staring at me and judging me negatively/criticizing me and while I was feeling this in class I wrote down the thought, evidence for/against and a more rational thought. One main thing I realized is even if people are looking at me, that does not mean they are criticizing me and in fact it could quite likely be the opposite, often we look at people we are interested in/attracted to.

Another interesting thing he said is people with social anxiety or any anxiety do not react wrongly. Our reaction is completely normal given the situation we have convinced ourselves is taking place in our head. Thing is the situation is not really taking place. He used the example of someone on a plane. 199 people are reading the menu and 1 person is having an anxiety attack because he is afraid of flying. He is having the anxiety attack because he is convinced that yes this plane is going to crash and he is going to die. If the plane took off and started plummeting and it was obvious to everyone on the plane that yes the plane is going to crash and everyone is going to die then they would all have anxiety attacks and panic and act exactly the same as him. The point; it is not his behavior or reaction that is incorrect it is his thoughts.

Also thought I'd add CBGT is cheaper in general than individual CBT therapy and in general is more effective. For me it's about half price and probably imo twice as effective.

[Positive]

how much are these thigns?

[Xande]

Originally Posted by JenN2791

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but you can take on this without a counselor right? I have yet to find an effective psychologist at my school (and can't afford to see one at a medical office or anything), so I've been trying to train myself to think more positively as well since I have a TERRIBLE habit of being so negative about things, bringing myself down, etc.

Have you checked out Mood Gym? or something like that lol, you should be able to find it through a google search, it's like an online CBT course, which I found about on this forum. I did one lesson so far, need to motivate myself to do second lol.

[JenN2791]

Originally Posted by Xande

Have you checked out Mood Gym? or something like that lol, you should be able to find it through a google search, it's like an online CBT course, which I found about on this forum. I did one lesson so far, need to motivate myself to do second lol.

Never heard, but I'll look into it. Thank you.