Australian Therapy !

[Mysticsoul]

Yesterday I spoke for an hour with one of the most respected anxiety experts in Australia. The first thing she told me is that they are not using drugs like we do in the USA since they found they don’t work to cure anything or cause long term problems. She also said they no longer use long term therapies.

She also said people doing their therapies are not taking years to recover - often about 3 to 5 months and it can occur suddenly once the fight or flight system turns off.

She said they do CBT but a specific kind called mindfulness and the meditation I do called Vapassana. Is anyone here doing mindfulness work??

[laurandisorder]

I have just started.

If you google aceda Adelaide, you will be able to access their anxiety page which currently has a PDF newsletter that goes into depth on mindfulness techniques.

It's hard to explain and honestly, it sounded dumb when my Doctor suggested it to me and I was very skeptical, but it helped me today when I tried it. It's about overriding your autopilot and thinking about basic senses and sensations.

Turns out my idle mind is panic's playground!

Hope this helps mystic x

[guitarist]

I started doing mindfulness 5 weeks ago. It's pretty hard to focus sometimes, but you focus on something you usually normal do. I also get pretty relaxed while doing it. Curious what it can do for me if I am doing it for a few months. I would give it a shot if I were you

[laurandisorder]

I'm sorry you had such a shitty time, Kev. I guess it depends on finding the right Doctor who has the right approach to anxiety.

I guess I am lucky because I have been in the system for a long time (for mental health disorders other than anxiety) and I was extremely lucky to get into my psychiatrist who is regarded by many as one of the top of the field. He's not an anxiety expert, but a specialist in Eating Disorders and he is incredibly reluctant to keep me on benzos after the initial 3 month treatment period.

On the opposite end of spectrum, my partner was prescribed Aropax (Paxil?) by his shady GP for anxiety and major depression associated with IBS that took months to diagnose and anyone with IBS knows that it is a pretty much an excuse of a diagnosis - eg 'you have stomach problems, but we don't know what they are or what is causing them'. He had to have extensive and invasive testing to get this diagnosis.

Not once (in 10 years!!!!!) has this quack recommended that he see a counselor or pursue any kind of therapy to help him overcome his issues and untangle some of the damage that has been done to him by the system that failed him.

It all depends on the doctor and the team that you end up with and having the strength, like Kev to realise when something is not working for you.

The Australian system is quick to prescribe - especially anti depressant medication, but personally I find them more reluctant to hand out benzos.

[Schatmeisje]

Ahh, I LOVE mindfulness training ! I am agoraphobic also, but was seeing my psycholigist with pretty much zero results, I started doing my mindfulness training and counselling through skype, and after my first session i walked out into the backyard for the first time in 6 months, then with weekly sessions, i started walking 1 house awaym then 2, then finally till i could go around the block. I also couldnt shower before mindfulness training, and now have no problems with it.
The only issue I had with it was that it was expensive (though well worth the results) I just kept going ahead in leaps and bounds while i was having it weekly, but unfirtunately i had to stop because private health and medicare both will not cover this.
I hope something can change at some point in australia, so that we can actually access this kind of treatment, instead of being handed pills (which I have refused ) I would DEFINITELY give the midfulness a go, i didnt really think it would work (especially over skype LOL) i use the tools i learnt every single day and once you get used to it, you start doing it automatically.
Good Luck :-)

[bec43]

this is awesome

[Mysticsoul]

What is the place you are doing skype therapy

[Mysticsoul]

Browyn Fox

[Mike36]

Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) can be an effective treatment for anxiety. It is usually taught as a 6 week course in a group. (there is an 8 week version for depression called MBCT). There are also various self help books on mindfulness that include CDs with practice exercises. These can be as effective as the courses but rely on regular practice. Mindfulness is a skill that people learn rather than treatment per se. It was started by Jon Kabat Zinn so any books / CDs by him would be the best ones I imagine.