44. Does CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) Really Work For ADHD?

Unknown Speaker 0: 0:10

12 Welcome to the dopamine kick, your weekly dose of positivity. We're your host, Sparky and shell. Join us each week as we have changed your habits to tackle fears and challenge your mindset. 24 Let's get to it. 26 Hello everyone and welcome to episode 44 of a thankfully, today we're going to be discussing CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy, and whether

Sparky 0: 0:25

37 or not it actually works. If you haven't already, please consider subscribing to the podcast. You can do that by whatever platform you're listening to. I was gonna say stick around till the end for this week's little kicker because we used to do loads and I don't know that's what I mean habits, but obviously we don't have a little kicker this week. I don't know. But yeah, if you can leave us a review. That would be absolutely great. This week, we're going to be talking about cognitive behavioural therapy, which both Shane and I have had in the past, Charlie do having this reset, so it's kind of new to her. So be interesting to get her opinion on it so far. So I was just thinking about some questions to ask you. And what do you think about CBT so far shower like what do you think about it if you got any thoughts? Yeah, so anyway, I really

Unknown Speaker 1: 0:30

30 enjoying it. So I'm about seven or eight weeks in and it's really made me think about some things that I do some behaviours that I engage in some are more toxic behaviours and how actually they're in my control. So my therapist has a way of referring to things as magical thinking, 54 I love that 56 when you're worrying about a scenario in the future, and you're thinking what if this and what if that what this? She says we don't have a crystal ball so every time when you what if your magical thinking and it sounds so ridiculous and childish? That actually really like gets to me because I feel like I am doing that and it is ridiculous and why am I doing it and like I, I guess, I've always I've known that before that you know when you do all these what ifs, it's not productive and useful. But for some reason, thinking about it as magical thinking is that the thing that's like, got to me got into my skin and stopped from doing it, or maybe not stopped doing it that reduces the amount of that.

Sparky 2: 0:45

40 So do you find that when you put these techniques in action, so I'm assuming that gave you some ways to deal with the way that you're thinking that black and white thinking maybe or something like that? Do you find that those tips work for you? Is there anything in particular I'm sorry, I'm covering up the loads of questions,

Unknown Speaker 3: 0:50

01 a little bit of tactic. Do you know why all these plastic about this topic?

Sparky 3: 0:55

13 Because usually, we say we're going to do an episode about questions right? And then two questions later. Well, I have to end it because we've

Unknown Speaker 3: 1:00

23 always got so I'm trying to get them all. But it probably probably just the first one. The first one I 34 don't know. Was the second one. Okay, well, let's scrap both of those questions. Oh, I

Sparky 3: 1:10

54 remember I remember I say Okay, so the question was no scrap.

Unknown Speaker 4: 1:15

03 scrap it. Okay. Let's move on. Because like you said, I'm doing CBT right now, but do you find it how to find ways to use CBT techniques today?

Sparky 4: 1:20

21 I feel that in the beginning, particularly in the beginning CBT was really helpful because I thought to myself, Oh, I didn't know this seems a new thing. I was more focused on it. I don't know. I went in a setting where I was there with people. So there was more of a commitment to go because I got to know some of the people that were there. I did it more in a group setting. And I found it really useful in the sense that I was thinking, Oh, wait, I didn't know this. I didn't know that. I thought they didn't know that and obviously you get the worksheets and you do stuff. And obviously you've referred to the podcast Yeah. has helped me certain things that stand out from it, which is that court of law you know, thinking about your judgments and is a real, you know, if there's something that you're ever thinking, what is the evidence that you've got for this? Those kind of things really helped me so I think in general, not all of it, but there are bits of it that I still use today that do really help me. I definitely think it's a great tool to have if you're trying to get over certain things, but I don't think everything was capable to me. It should probably should have been for the wedding that year. And this year, so yeah.

Unknown Speaker 5: 1:25

36 And what would you say is the one standout thing that you remember that helps you the most?

Sparky 5: 1:30

42 The one standout thing that I always remember was we only spoke about a lot of this in our self care episodes was making sure that you take the time, regardless of whatever's going on in your life to factor in things in your day that you enjoy because that's what life's about. Isn't it? It's about living, it's about having a good time. And sometimes we get lost in all of the noise and we don't we don't do the things that make everyday life. What it is, which is seeing friends and family doing your hobbies, things that you enjoy. And when you're so lost in thoughts black and white thinking, you know, you just got so much going on. It's easy to forget that and I think when you kind of scrape back all those layers and you get to the surface, enjoying yourself is the best thing that you can do for yourself. So I always that that's something that always sticks in my mind a diary of things that I need to enjoy on a weekly basis. So yeah, what about you anything that stands out for you with a Bowman? Ah,

Unknown Speaker 6: 1:35

42 yeah, so I think the opposite sort of magical thinking that like blew my mind. But the other thing that I find really useful is to stop me going in spiral so I've said before about going in like downward spirals, obsessing over things. Oh my god, you 59 found a way to stop it.

Unknown Speaker 7: 1:45

01 It doesn't work every time. But it definitely makes me think. And so my therapist refers to it as the worry train. She says to imagine that you're at a train station, you're waiting on the platform, and the train comes in. It doesn't have any details on it. So you don't know where it's going. Yeah, you wouldn't get on that train because you don't know where your destination is going to be. Oh, you take you'd say no, I'm not going to get on that train. I'll wait for the next one because you don't know what's going to happen. So it's the same with worry ish. When you're starting to spiral into things you have to think to yourself I'm not going to get on this train because I don't know where the spiral ends. And I haven't found that useful in like making me take a couple of seconds and sometimes it's not enough sometimes it will still spiral anyway. But there's definitely been times where I've managed to pull myself back from the brink and I would not have done that before.

Sparky 7: 1:50

55 Oh, that I'd actually that's a really good tea. I'm going to think that in my time be long term and we're not sure. But I really like the analogy of you wouldn't get on the train. If you wouldn't know where the destination was and you wouldn't so I guess yeah, you it's the same principle really, but quite profound, quite profound. Yeah. This is what I love about CBT this is this is probably the biggest thing for me. Those little nuggets of goodness that you get from just people's different experiences like I never had that. The court of law one, you've got the train, you know, and they're all things that hopefully they're going to be useful to the people that are listening to these podcasts, if you have any, like if you've been through CBT or just in general you've got any tips about how to deal with life in general, then send them our way because we'd love to hear though we're always in need of new tips. And yeah, really someone's doing if someone tells us a really good one that really works then obviously we'll credit you as well.

Unknown Speaker 8: 1:55

55 Definitely try it out.

Sparky 8: 2:00

59 So, do you feel like CBT is going to be something that you're going to use for the rest of your

Unknown Speaker 9: 2:05

03 life? Yes, I do. Think how you some of it. I like the way it sort of reframed how you think about things and like nothing that has been said is things that I suppose that I didn't already know. It's just thinking about it in a different way. Yeah. And in a way that's more helpful. So I think I will use parts of it. But like you said, there are bits that I just don't find that helpful and maybe apply to me.

Sparky 9: 2:10

28 Yeah, I know. I do know what you mean. There are different things. Everything is useful, but it's whether whether it's interesting enough to apply

Unknown Speaker 9: 2:15

37 ADHD

Sparky 9: 2:20

42 you just said the same thing. So it started with you, ADHD. We're just gonna keep doing this. Now. You know, guys through each of these episodes, we're just gonna start doing

Unknown Speaker 9: 2:25

53 ADHD. Well, next week, we'll know about me anyway. Yeah, you still don't have your date yet to reschedule jobs, but my mind is this week.

Unknown Speaker 10: 2:30

02 I'm just I'm just gonna say now. 09 If I don't have ADHD I'm off the podcast.

Sparky 10: 2:40

12 You don't have ADHD? You can't say anything about me.

Unknown Speaker 10: 2:45

19 What do you mean? We can't make fun of me. Okay. I would only make fun of you in a light hearted Jack

Sparky 10: 2:50

26 wouldn't be ADHD versus ADHD then so you'd be discriminating.

Unknown Speaker 10: 2:55

32 I mean, I think it's unlikely that I'll come back without something. 36 I don't know. I've got a few theories. 41 Right, well, let's not go. A week is not that long to wait.

Sparky 10: 3:10

45 Yeah. It's quite close though. So I guess, obviously, we spoke about it before. You said you're feeling nervous. I have you've had a few weeks. Do you feel a little bit better about it? Or are you still feeling sort

Unknown Speaker 10: 3:15

56 of similar? No, I still feel similar. I still feel like I think it's just crazy imposter syndrome. Like I just feel like I'm going to be like laughed at because it's ridiculous to think that I have ADHD and I don't have it. I just have the symptoms because I'm a fraud. Like I definitely yeah, I feel like that. I feel like it's a test that I can't prepare for and I'm gonna get the answers. Wrong.

Unknown Speaker 11: 3:20

24 This is where CBT needs to come in. 26 I know. And I have I have what evidence do you have? I don't have any and I have been working with my therapist and trying not to get obsessed about this and I promised to stop because I was getting into like research spirals and spending hours just looking up symptoms and stuff and I have managed to stop doing all of that. I am still very stressed about it. Yeah,

Sparky 11: 3:30

51 well the one thing that I would say in evidence when we're using CBT. So we're going to use a real life example of CBT podcast now guys. The evidence suggests that it can't be an attention seeking thing that you're doing again, you know, impostor syndrome, because you're the one that even came up with it. Not like you were thinking about it all alone. Your therapist said to you do you know of undiagnosed ADHD and then the spiral started which which obviously is ADHD. So you can't look at the evidence, the clear evidence in a court of law there is no evidence to suggest that you started this to attention seek so you shouldn't

Unknown Speaker 12: 3:35

38 think that. Seeing it's as easy as that I'll flick my switch. Everything's all okay. That is the end of all sunshine and rainbows.

Sparky 12: 3:40

54 So I guess we should we should we should wrap this up by saying about whether CBT works. And the one thing that I would say about CBT is I believe that for me, this is my this is only my experience, by the way, I believe CBT really works. But the one downside to CBT is CBT is something that you do and then it's easy to put away in a drawer and never think about it again for all your paperwork in a drawer or for all your ideas in a drawer. And I think that's the down side of CBT so if you consistently there's no one to hold you accountable to it. So CBT works because you're working with someone at the time you accountable. It's working really, really well and you think oh my god, this is amazing. And then afterwards, that person goes away, therapist goes away, and then it's like, oh, no, I'm on my own. And then that's the part where it kind of goes down, which is which is one of the downsides of CBT as a therapy is it works really, really fast really quickly, but long term. It's whether keep people keep keep the management of it. Yeah, so it's easy to kind of just disappearing fade into thin air. So it does really work. But you if you are doing CBT and you really want to have CBT you do need to be consciously aware that you do need to kind of put the work Yes, you've got past that. And and that can be really boring for some people who

Unknown Speaker 14: 3:45

24 are just ask for it to say again, I don't know if anyone is struggling with negative thoughts. Really, I'd say it's most useful for sort of negativity, but I really encourage you to try CBT because I think you do come away coping mechanisms. from it. And then there isn't really any sort of downside like the only thing that you lose if you try and it doesn't work for you is a bit of time but you probably have wasted that time on social media. Anyway, that's how I think about it. Yeah, that's true. So yeah, if you are struggling, I would definitely encourage you to look into

Sparky 14: 3:50

59 that. Yeah. CBT is really good and really useful. Like shall set for anxiety, depression, negative thoughts. And just in general, if you feel that you need some help and support to manage your emotions, that can be really good for that as well. So it kind of depends on what you want to use it for but like Shah said, There's no harm in trying, because what's the most you're gonna lose? Really, you're just going to waste a bit of time, but I think there are some good nuggets in there. And we spoke about a couple of them today. If you do have any luck said please get in touch and let us know because we'd love to hear.

Unknown Speaker 15: 3:55

32 All right. That's it for this week. See you next time.

Sparky 15: 4:00

37 All right. That's everything this week, guys, but if you want to carry on with the conversation, join us over on our social media platforms. We're on all the major channels and our handle is at a dopamine kick. We'd also be

Unknown Speaker 15: 4:05

47 super grateful if you could leave us a review on the podcast wherever you're listening, because it helps us grow our audience and help more people. Okay, we'll see you in the next one. Bye bye

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