I know there is a lot of good evidence for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy when it comes to mental disorders. I have experienced CBT primarily positively, especially when it comes to anxiety, but I think there are some ethical issues when it comes to treating “automatically negative thoughts” - a core concept for CBT.
A lot but not all of the people living with SZ are living alone, without a job or a partner, many have experienced a lot of losses, friendships, ability to work, traumas, substance abuse and other things that should be addressed and understood, instead of just scratching the surface trying to change the negative thoughts. The thoughts arise for a reason, not to speak of the neuropsychiatric reasons for negative thoughts (delusions, voices, cognitive and negative symptoms).
When CBT is at its worst the patient can experience guilt for not being able to change the automatic negative thoughts because the reason for these thoughts lies beyond what CBT manages to change. You can just change them by “thinking positively” and change your patterns of thinking, especially if the reason is neuropsychiatric.
I have personally felt frustrated and left alone with my problems when I have not been able to change these negative thoughts, and later angry because I know there is a reason for them to arise which has not been talked about and understood.
Thanks for asking, I have been through a lot of hardships and in the end they changed my schizotypal disorder to schizophrenia, but right now I’m at a very good rehab hospital for mentally ill and have to be here for three months. Maybe that can change my deroute.
During the day I’m fine, but I have a worsening of my mood in the evening.
How are you managing in the rehab center? My cousin who has sz and a pot addiction said she struggled in rehab because it’s tougher than psychosis care.
The staff is very kind and i have the best psychiatrist i have ever had, but i’m very different from the other patients, some have personality disorders, some SZ, and all were heavy substance abusers and have lived a rough life, but they treat me nice even as a stranger. So I’m doing okay, the first two weeks were the worst.
CBT is the secret sauce that allows me to bump along on a low dose of meds. It was the big game changer in my treatment. I have experienced a lot of trauma and I experience negative thoughts, especially around Xmas. Every time I hear Xmas music, basically. CBT doesn’t help me automatically think positively. It allows me to recognize the negative thought, take a step back, and then mentally scroll through my list of options for dealing with it.
Don’t be ashamed. Negative thinking is tough tough tough because you’ve usually got real reasons for having those thoughts. It’s easy to say that a given thought is a delusion (not real) and I’m not giving a crap about it. If you got raped as a kid you can’t just say I’m not giving a crap about that because it was and still is a real thing. Honestly, CBT is not the best for unprocessed trauma. Look into EMDR:
EMDR works for trauma and can help with the negative thoughts where CBT is more helpful with positive symptoms. EMDR hasn’t gotten rid of everything from my childhood but it is a lot more manageable at this point.
Yes, i have heard a lot about EMDR, @shutterbug, thanks, my nephew in UK is in this kind of therapy at the moment, and true, the shame and guilt i had, has now transformed to a light anger when my therapist (a psychiatric nurse trained in CBT) talks about negative thoughts, i just shut down and don’t listen, but she says other reasonable things i can use.
Schizophrenics are notoriouesly difficult to treat with therapi @Ducky - maybe the therapist failed and not you?
You’re saying this to the guy who uses therapy to bump along on a minimum dose of Vraylar and to juggle positive symptoms and a full-time job plus full-time hobbies.
