Nadia Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I just came across something called Morita Therapy developed by a Japanese psychiatrist that I bet would totally help those of us in withdrawal. I see a lot of parallels with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Example: Feelings are Uncontrollable There is an assumption behind many Western therapeutic methods that it is necessary to change or modify our feeling state before we can take action. We assume that we must “overcome” fear to dive into a pool, or develop confidence so we can make a public presentation. But in actuality, it is not necessary to change our feelings in order to take action. In fact, it is our efforts to change our feelings that often makes us feel even worse. “Trying to control the emotional self willfully by manipulative attempts is like trying to choose a number on a thrown die or to push back the water of the Kamo River upstream. Certainly, they end up aggravating their agony and feeling unbearable pain because of their failure in manipulating the emotions.” -- Shoma Morita, M.D. Once we learn to accept our feelings we find that we can take action without changing our feeling state. Often, the action-taking leads to a change in feelings. For example, it is common to develop confidence after one has repeatedly done something with some success. Source: http://www.todoinstitute.org/morita.html On the Wiki page, read the description of the therapy... how it starts with total isolation, then gradual increase of work/stress. I bet that would heal me. I think this is the answer to my stress or no stress question. Gradual stress. '94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever. 1/13 Best I've ever felt. 3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows. 4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gem Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Brilliant! Thank you for posting this. I have found that allowing myself to experience my feelings has really helped me, especially when they are in response to withdrawal. I can remember once when I was feeling quite down and unhappy about going through withdrawal and the lack of sleep, and I told myself something along the lines of "no wonder you feel like this, what you are going through is really hard and you are allowed to feel unhappy about it." I can remember this really helping, it felt like being kind to myself rather than trying to force myself into a good mood, which felt like some sort of punishment! CBT can be a really good thing, but sometimes I personally found that, if I could, it was better to allow myself to experience my feelings and recognise that they were in themselves, a very rational response to what was sometimes an impossible situation. I came off Seroxat in August 2005 after a 4 month taper. I was initially prescibed a benzo for several months and then Prozac for 5 years and after that, Seroxat for 3 years and 9 months. "It's like in the great stories Mr.Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer." Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Gem, I've had the same experience! Have you read about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? Check out this site: http://www.thehappinesstrap.com/ In the free resources section, there is a worksheet that helped me quite a bit. I'm in the middle of reading the book now... '94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever. 1/13 Best I've ever felt. 3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows. 4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gem Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Thanks very much Nadia! Glad to hear you have also found that this helps you too. I will check out the link and the worksheet. Sorry for the late response, I only just saw your post. I came off Seroxat in August 2005 after a 4 month taper. I was initially prescibed a benzo for several months and then Prozac for 5 years and after that, Seroxat for 3 years and 9 months. "It's like in the great stories Mr.Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer." Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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