CBT for GAD

[Guest guest]

Kathy in Hawaii:

You have mentioned doing CBT for your GAD - is it erp or a different approach? The kids' new therapist thinks Avery falls more in the GAD area. I still see plenty of compulsions in her, I'm just not sure about the obsessive part. He insists that she just likes making lists endlessly and turning 50+ somersaults. Of course, he's only met her once. She isn't very willing to discuss OCD with me, if fact, she says she doesn't believe in it. She also accuses me of having OCD about OCD! She told that to the therapist and he told me not to use those words when discussing it with her. He also warned me to be careful around Ian or he'd start blaming everything on OCD. He's already started that. Dr. Telch told me to think about OCD and report any behaviors, just don't label it in front of the kids too much.

in TX

[Guest guest]

HI :

At the 2000 conference I attended a couple of sessions on GAD and they

recommended E & RP as more effective than the usual CT and relaxation

therapies. IT is a bit more tricky than E & RP for OCD as it is not so easy

to note the responses used to reduce anxiety in GAD. Reassurance is a

typical one but more tricky to notice, for example I tell myself that

something I worry about is something anyone would logically worry about and

then I think I can keep worrying for that reason. I ask people if they

think typical people would worry about this and is my worry out of the

ordinary.

GAD and OCD are very similar, and since the treatment is the same the label

is not so important. Making lists and somersaulting over and over sounds

more like OCD. GAD tends to be rather free floating anxiety moving from

one thing to another in a sort of smorgasbord approach compared to OCD

which involves getting stuck on the same thing over and over. This is a

bit simplistic. ALso GAD worries tend to be realistic worries that have

become excessive, like work, kids, health, etc. OCD worries can be

unusual, e.g. believing that you will die of a drug overdose because you

think sugar spilled on the table is crack cocaine.

I had to chuckle about your being accused of being OCD. Steve would do the

same thing to me. The best way to handle this is to agree and joke about

now Avery can help you with her tips about how to cope. Make some

paradoxical comment and be light about it. That is the best tip we got

from Steve's psychologist, try not to be so serious about OCD, be more

light hearted and joke about it. At first it was very hard for me so I

just had to act as if I was being lighthearted. In time it becomes the way

you really feel.

Good luck, take care, warmest aloha, Kathy

At 08:43 PM 02/04/2001 -0600, you wrote:

Kathy in Hawaii:

You have mentioned doing CBT for your GAD - is it erp or a different

approach? The kids' new therapist thinks Avery falls more in the GAD area.

I still see plenty of compulsions in her, I'm just not sure about the

obsessive part. He insists that she just likes making lists endlessly and

turning 50+ somersaults. Of course, he's only met her once. She isn't

very willing to discuss OCD with me, if fact, she says she doesn't believe

in it. She also accuses me of having OCD about OCD! She told that to the

therapist and he told me not to use those words when discussing it with

her. He also warned me to be careful around Ian or he'd start blaming

everything on OCD. He's already started that. Dr. Telch told me to think

about OCD and report any behaviors, just don't label it in front of the

kids too much.

in TX

[Guest guest]

Hi , if you ask Dr. Telch about the imaginary friends, I would like to hear his response. Kel never had any when younger, but last year during a rough time with OCD all of sudden she had several and spent much time in "conversation" with them. She didn't use them as scapegoats, but this whole business seemed OCDy to me and she became very distressed when I suggested she was a little old to have imaginary friends, that usually little ones made up friends. She didn't believe in these friends and instead this seemed to be an act, but there was definitely anxiety associated with it. Later she told me they were OCD's idea but I never really understood this. (Can you boss back imaginary friends? The feeling you should create some? :-/) Anyway the imaginary friend issue comes back from time to time since then when Kel's having a harder time and is always weird.

Kathy R in Indiana

Re: CBT for GAD

Kathy:

I don't really understand what he expects me to do either. I think his point was not to give them an out for bad behavior. For example, Ian hates to get off his N64 and do homework. He has tried before to use the excuse that's it's the OCD making him stay on and ignore me. I don't think so!

Avery, OTOH, denies anything is OCD and will give me elaborate stories to explain her behavior. I really can't get her to discuss the true reasons. Lately she has revived her imaginary friends and blames them for getting her into trouble. I don't think she really believes in them anymore, she just uses them as scapegoats. I'm wondering if she is using them to represent her OCD. I guess I need to get Dr. Telch to explain his reasons more thoroughly and ask his opinion about the imaginary friends. Gracie has also acquired a couple of "friends" herself - Maydeen and Susie. It's funny because Maydeen was originally Avery's. I do think Grace really believes in hers. She doesn't blame them for things, she just plays with and talks to them. Does anyone else have any opinions on imaginary friends?