Posted by violette on September 12, 2010, at 12:01:41
In reply to Re: CBT made me much worse, actually. » TriedEveryMedication, posted by morgan miller on September 10, 2010, at 20:25:44
TriedEveryMedication,
I'm curious as to how cbt made you worse off, if you don't mind sharing..thanks. This is something i'd like to see researched in ways that i haven't seen....and i'm trying to get a better picture of what the problem is with those unresponsive to cbt other than what i've seen already researched..
Morgan,
I understand how therapy can make you worse before better...but wanted to mention my experience with CBT...and that of others who i speak to...
i was not worse during-i was worse after. it strenghthened the defense mechanisms I was already using-it did not integrate my emotions w/ self, it encouraged emotionally distancing myself from them...i had already known at the cognitive level what my issues were-low self worth, etc., but didn't feel it so much at the emotional level due to the defenses I was using. cbt strenghthened compartmentalized thinking-a maladaptive trait. But this trait is better than some of the others for emotional regulation and other issues.
This is common with other people i've spoken with who have attachment issues, but have adaptively used a mix of defense mechanisms, a range of unhealthy and healthy ones... cbt can help you temporarily if you tend to use some of the lower level defenses more often..imo. But integrating the emotions with your self strenghthens the self = healthy sense of self = automatic ego regulation, one of the psychological components of MI that psychoanalytic therapy addresses and cbt does not.
Another common issue i hear is that cbt can be harmful with those who already have harsh superegos-which includes a range of disorders...it tells you that your thinking is faulty, and that you need to change...not good for those with attachment issues or who otherwise have harsh superegos. it can strengthn your inner critic in that way-making one worse off than before.
dbt seems to be a good step up from cbt, for those with more impulse control realted issues, and also can improve the superego-inner critic-from what i read and heard about it...
poster:violette
thread:961212
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100908/msgs/962155.html