187- CBT2017 - 16

As much as some therapy sessions can be tough and depict stagnation, this 17th was as positive and encouraging as any can be, with high praise from my therapist at the amount of exposure work I've done in the past 3 weeks - since our previous session. 

We had set together just a few of those exposures as goals, but on the 17th I created and started a challenge, to boost my (roughly) daily outings. 



I had mostly positive outcomes showing my growth over the past 9 months of CBT, achieving great strides in my exposures, particularly this month. I managed some really complicated tasks that I wouldn't have been able before, and for that, I've felt very happy and  my therapist congratulated me for these  accomplishments. 

Regarding my life-long difficulties in not telling too many details about my past, in conversations such as those during my 5000 days veganiversary, she suggested that I limit the number of people in my audience to 3 (maximum), and not give up too many details early on in the friendship. 

Knowing my passion for reading, she used the metaphor of a book, how you first get chapter names (through the table of contents), before reading more details in the story, down to each paragraph. Thus, I can discuss at first only very general lines, moving on in another meeting with the same person into more details, and only after the third such a discussion to start giving even more detailed, in a gradually increasing manner so I don't inundate my audience, nor get overwhelmed myself. 

I'll need to ask my regular therapist how to deal with my trauma subjects so I don't get myself worked-up and become nauseous, or worse. Good that I see him on 13/03.

My tasks until my 17th CBT which will be on 14/03 are :

• Answering the updated Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) 

Exposures : (Level 90/100) 

• As usual, continue will my previous ones whenever possible.
• Propose my help to strangers (like I did a couple weeks ago)
• Shake hands/ do the customary French cheek-kiss (according to situation) 
• Geek convention (I just noticed that it'll be AFTER my next session, oops) 

With high praise over my exposures and practical advice that this therapist always gives, I'm so glad that I I started this CBT, 9 months ago, almost to the day. (was 30/05).

On a side note : I mentioned that I had learned the NHS often limits UK patients to 6 CBT sessions. She told me that in France it's usually between 12 & 20ish. As I said elsewhere, I'm so grateful for this upper limit. 

I'm nearing the end of allowed CBT for social anxiety, after which my therapist will work with me for others phobias- I assume this summer (it'll depend on several factors).