CBT how do you rate it?

I'm assuming you live in the UK, where the NHS supports CBT and GET (graded exercise therapy) as a way to get better. The NHS bases this support on a study that has been largely debunked. I live in the U.S., and had CBT for a few years. I did this, not as an expectation for a cure, but as a coping mechanism. In my experience, CBT was a way for me to examine my thoughts regarding my illness. It helped to talk to a therapist who was compassionate and understanding. But, again, it did not, in any way, affect the course of the illness.

As I understand it, you are on medication for depression, and I do have experience of CBT for depression and anxiety. It was hard work, but effective, the counsellor tailed it to my circumstances, and I was pleased with the improvement it brought. Also it helped me to work out my own "coping strategies" which I can now use to get me over any sticky phases. I had previously tried doing it myself using a book (recommended by my GP) but it was too difficult.

Hi, I have CBT for depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue and I found it tremendously successful. However, it is important to approach this, and any therapy, with an open mind as well as a positive can do attitude otherwise there is very limited chance of success no matter how good the psychologist is. Good luck.

Hi, I have CBT for depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue and I found it tremendously successful. However, it is important to approach this, and any therapy, with an open mind, as well as a positive can do attitude otherwise there is very limited chance of success no matter how good the psychologist is. Good luck.

I think that NHS CBT for CFS is often worse than nothing. It seems of questionable value for depression too. If you don't think it is likely to be more helpful for you personall that for the typical person, then I wouldn't bother with it. But also, refusing to 'engage' with CBT can the be used against you by other health professionals. You could just attend, and see it as an experience?

There's a lot of spin an msirepresentation in claims about CBT leading to decent recovery rates for CFS. A recently released and critical talk on some of the evidence around CBT/GET for CFS, also touches on their implications for benefits. It is titled: Professor James Coyne Presentation on PACE Trial - Belfast 2016

I'm more drawn to Mindfulness Therapy. I studied it in an Open University course and clinical trials show good results for it. Might be worth you looking into it. I also took a free course with Futurelearn on it. The course is by an Australian university and I bought a book by one of the tutors.

I found CBT very effective for depression.  It is not a cure for CFS.

Hiya,

I had CBT for Anxiety (before CFS onset) and found it extremely helpful, I'd go as far as to say it changed my life. However, I would say that it is only useful as you make it. What I mean by this is it relies on the patient taking an active role in their recovery. I must admit that my initial impressions of CBT weren't good because I wrongly assumed that my therapist would make me better. In fact, it took a good few sessions before I finally accepted my role in my own recovery and from there things started to improve. 

I have also had CBT for CFS. Now, I think CBT helped to some extent - it helped me to find my baseline which was extremely useful, and it helped me identify unhelpful thoughts I was having in response to my CFS. I'd also say that making records of everything you do in a day is extremely tedious but it did help me while finding my baseline. It's important if you don't like some aspect t of the therapy to communicate this and to have some ideas for alternatives. In my experience, CBT is not a cure but it does help develop coping and it helped to stabilise which I found meant that I was feeling ill less often and this meant I felt less down. My only other gripe 

Best of luck!

I have had M.E. now for 33 years and am really fed up with it to put it mildly. I manage it by pacing myself and resting on an afternoon and I know if I don;t I will be worse. It is so difficult. Best of luck with yiur CBT to be quite honet I could not be bothered with it