"CBT journey"

I have suffered with OCD and anxiety since before I can even remember. I have tried every avenue of help I could think off, ranging from therapy to alternative medicines. I began going to CBT in Armagh at the beginning of October 2024 and have just finished as of March 2025.

I didnt know what to expect going in nor did I have any realistic expectations that it would have any meaningful impact upon my life - I needn't have worried.

My therapist Shauna put me at ease from the moment I walked through the door. She explained everything in a way that was easy to understand, she took a genuine interest in the things that I was saying and she just created an easy going/free flowing environment that allowed me to share my thoughts/feelings without hesitation (Something I have never(!) been able to do before).

However I did come to realise that Shauna was not going to take a magic wand and just fix my problems. She outlined the work that I was going to have to do and she discussed and gave me the tools that would need to complete that work. I quickly learned that if I wasnt honest with myself in the sessions or in the homework that I was given, that I wasn't going to see any improvements in my life. So I jumped in with both feet - best decision I have made in a long time.

About half way through my sessions, Shauna helped me come to a realisation about certain issues that I was having, something that immediately switched on a light in my brain. I felt like I had been going through life with a Backpack full of blocks on my back and for the first time that that weight was suddenly lighter. At each of the sessions thereafter, the weight would get less and less.

I am not naive enough to think that I am somehow "cured" but I now have the confidence and knowledge that I can deal with these problems as they arise and now I have the tools to do that.

Not to sound like I am leaving some raving google review but my outlook on life has never been as good. I owe a great deal of thanks to the CBT team in Armagh/Dungannon - in Particular Shauna. If I could share one piece of advice for anybody considering undergoing CBT, its to do it - but give it your 100% - don't hold back