CBT Thearpy

[Totie]

I have had issues with insomnia for well over 14yrs. I usually average about 2-3 hrs of sleep per night. My insomnia started 14yrs ago when I developed graves disease/hyperthyroidism. I had my thyroid removed, but insomnia has been the symtom that never went away. I am used to my sleep patterns.

I was sent to a sleep specialist, but he told me it would not benefit me to have a sleep study done because his staff would just watch me twittle my thumbs through out the night. I have been on all kinds of sleep aides, to no avail. I currently take 20mg of Ambien once every 10-14 days, because it will only work once every two weeks.

The sleep doctor sent me to his collegue and gave me a lot of phamphlets on sleep disorders and CBT. Will I went to see his collegue, but when I mentioned CBT  he flat out told me he did not believe in it and that it did not work. Okay what are we going to try then was what I asked. He ended up giving me a CD with his voice on it trying to calm my mind down. Is that not the same thing as CBT??

[Totie]

My sister said the same thing you said. She is a teacher of psychology at the Floridia University of Miami International.

She has tried to explain to me CBT, but I still do not see how the brain can be retrained.

I will look at your web site, I do not have anything to lose.

[Gregg D Jacobs, Ph.D.]

The CD you received is not the same as CBT, which involves many techniques (such as sleep scheduling and stimulus control) taught in a minimum of 4-5 treatment sessions. The doctor you saw likely gave you a CD on relaxation techniques, not CBT, and he misinformed you since CBT has been shown to be more effective than sleeping pills and works well in 80% of patients. That is why CBT is recommended as the treatment of choice for insomnia by the National Institutes of Health and the New England Journal of Medicine. See my website www.cbtforinsomnia.com for a full explanation of CBT and an online, interactive five session CBT program.

Dr. Jacobs
www.cbtforinsomnia.com