Is CBT the Answer...?

I've begun to understand what CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is all about. The penny has dropped, as it were. I had my latest session yesterday. It had been three weeks since my last one and I had hoped that my therapist would have forgotten all she had asked me to do. There is a lot of homework with CBT, you are expected to record so much about how you are feeling and what you are doing. When you suffer with anxiety and depression it is often the last thing you want to do. It is just another thing to worry about.

I do wonder if CBT can be a solution. I've been asked to record things I worry about together with my thoughts and actions to better understand why I begin to worry in the first place and to look at the actions I need to take to reduce the worry. The whole thing sort of makes sense. I can see how worrying about the same things - specifically in my case, money and diabetes - often end up in a spiral starting with worry and anxiety and ending up in a depressive low. CBT teaches you to break the cycle, but is it that easy?

If I take yesterday, I received a text from the bank, a text I had been expecting and dreading, ironically whilst I was waiting for my CBT session. The text asked me to call them and I knew it was about the payment arrangement I have for the mortgage. The arrangement has come to the end of its agreed three month period. The anxiety and worry set in immediately, and I was able to use my CBT session to focus on this.  The solution apparently is to analyse why I worry and become anxious and how these reactions will affect the outcome. It's obvious that getting worried isn't going to solve anything and avoiding things will only lead to a worst outcome. I recognise all this. But I find it impossible not to worry. I owe money to the bank, which I don't have at the moment.

I understand what CBT does. I also understand that it isn't a cure, rather it helps to explain why I react in certain ways and to therefore reduce the impact of an event or something that causes distress. I have to ask if I think it is doing me any good. Probably not. I came home from my CBT session worrying that I had to call the bank. The response by the bank to my dilemma was not as good as I had hoped for. Specifically they are prepared to extend my payment arrangement until December after which I'm required to pay the full amount of £950 a month. I've managed to buy a little more time but having to plead with them yesterday took all my strength. Did CBT help me? The answer is definitely no, as I'm now worrying about the next phone call in December.

Save a penny here, save a penny there...

We are just one of many thousands of families who across the country are trying to save money and reduce their outgoings wherever they can. A report on the BBC earlier in the week prompted me to compare our electricity costs with those of other providers. I was shocked to discover that we could save more than £600 a year on the £178 we pay each month. We have no gas incidentally as we are so rural so everything is electric.
I did call our existing supplier to see if we could get the amount we pay reduced but they made the explanation so confusing and difficult to understand. All I was interested in was the monthly amount, not units, tariffs and usage blocks. So in the end a quick call to our new supplier offering us this enormous saving was all that was needed. Apparently they do all the rest so I was pleased with that.
Next on the list was our pet insurance. We've been with the same provider for about 9 years and in that time, the premium has slowly crept up as these things have an annoying habit of doing. Again, checking on line, we found that we were able to have slightly better cover for £10 a month less. Again a quick call had this sorted out.
Finally, a call to they guys who look after our pipes and electrics internally on behalf of Anglia Water. We had been paying them £25 and have seldom ever claimed. So a call to them mentioning that we were looking at saving money and might be leaving them was all it took for them to take £10 off the amount we pay each month, and provide exactly the same cover!
So, it really does pay to ring round and see if you can get things cheaper. It's actually quite a satisfying experience. I know a lot of people simply don't bother as they don't want the hassle. But we are living in times now where we simply have to save money in order to survive. I was always one for just leaving things as they were, relying on the direct debit each month and not giving any thought to whether or not we were paying too much. I'm just lucky my wife is the complete opposite. Without her, I know we wouldn't be here now.
At risk of sounding like Martin Lewis, the UK's Money Saving Expert, it worked for us and I'm pleased we did it...

Waiting...

The observant amongst you will have noticed that I have given no mention yet to the call I was supposed to have received the beginning of this week. Indeed, I am still waiting for it and becoming a little worried that either I have been forgotten or that my hopes have once again been dashed. I am for now putting it down to the fact that it's fast approaching the Easter Bank Holiday weekend so things are perhaps a little hectic with people off on their hols and looking after their children. We'll see what tomorrow brings...