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Mental Health How to Cope with Delusions of Reference

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Unregistered2aaC34

Guest
Hey thanks for listening. I have bipolar 1 with psycotic features. a lot of times this makes text seem hard to dicipher. This causes me a lot of stress. I've heard about reality testing as a form of cognitive-behavioral strategy but it does not always work. The whole thing has me sort of lost.
 
I think you're confusing / misunderstanding a few concepts here.

You mean to say, instead, that you'd like to try CBT for delusions of reference?
 
How to Cope With Delusions of Reference _Response 1

Unregistered2aaC34
Guest
Yesterday11:10
Hey thanks for listening. I have bipolar 1 with psycotic features. a lot of times this makes text seem hard to dicipher. This causes me a lot of stress. I've heard about reality testing as a form of cognitive-behavioral strategy but it does not always work. The whole thing has me sort of lost.




#2

bees_knees

Bluelighter
Join Date
Mar 2013
Posts
166
Today07:57
I think you're confusing / misunderstanding a few concepts here.

You mean to say, instead, that you'd like to try CBT for delusions of reference?



^ya sorry. I don't really know how to start moving in the right direction.
 
A competent therapist or psychologist can guide you through CBT. We don't treat people on here though. Medication should be enough to take away the threat of the delusions. The rest is up to your hard work with a professional.
 
I think CBT gets a lot of unwarranted praise compared to a lot of other therapeutic approaches. But before we say it isn't working. . .

Reading into things a great deal likely won't cease all that much until your medication has kicked in in a way that has diminished both your mood symptoms and your psychosis symptoms.

A therapist is probably a much better way to do CBT type stuff than on your own. Back to the beginning, a therapist likely won't have an opening to work with if you aren't approaching stability regarding mood and cognition. Most often , regarding bipolar w/ psychotic symptoms,the stability to do therapy comes from taking meds that one tolerates and that work for a period, and having good results. After some stability, then perhaps therapy. IME anyways.
 
I've heard about reality testing as a form of cognitive-behavioral strategy but it does not always work. The whole thing has me sort of lost.

Sorry you are having problems.

The reality checking thing really can work rather well for delusions if you aren't acutely psychotic. It's not something that will work overnight, you literally need to try rationalizing your delusions every single time you realise your thoughts are straying that direction. I'm sure seeking some professional help, whether therapy or CBT might be able to help & would be a sensible thing to do. Bring it up with your p-doc but meantime keep reality checking, don't lose heart if it doesn't always work... if it helps sometimes, then that is good enough.
 
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