Therapeutic approach based on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)
INTRODUCTION
1. Key Theoretical concepts of my approach. My personal story.
As a child, I was gregarious, outgoing, and happy-go-lucky. I did not know why I was unable to focus when I had been one of the best students during my primary school. I had been talkative, but I kept to myself, remained silent, and let bullies pick on me especially my father and my second sister who love to find faults in me and yelled at me for no reasons. I hadn't the slightest idea what was going on with my body and mind.
Meanwhile, I was panicking inside, and I did not know who I could confide in besides my mother and “Ms. Kaladevi”, one my favourite teacher when I was at standard five. I grew up in a middle class family who taught me about the cultural and family values, for example, respecting and admiring the elders. I kept having intrusive, unwanted thoughts about not being good enough. I stood in front of mirrors, combing my hair over and over, trying to get it just right. I did not eat much, but I made myself feel better by eating few loaves of breads. I did not join any after-school activities; I kept to myself and just went through the motions.
In college I had a series of panic attacks based on my fear of failure and rejection. One specific attack came on during final exam week. A day before the Statistic exam, my heart rate soared to 160. I had to go for a short break and take an incomplete for the semester, and I was devastated.
Fortunately, I underwent some treatment at HUKM , where a specialist diagnosed me with panic disorder. This was back in 2001, when many in the community knew little about these disorders. It took me about a month to realize that I was not crazy and that I had nothing to be ashamed of. I continued to see my psychiatrist for about a year.
While the drug Prozac did it job of keeping away my intrusive thoughts and panic, I experienced weight gain, lethargy, and slower reflexes. This became a challenge that I decided to accept.
Even though
1. Key Theoretical concepts of my approach. My personal story.
As a child, I was gregarious, outgoing, and happy-go-lucky. I did not know why I was unable to focus when I had been one of the best students during my primary school. I had been talkative, but I kept to myself, remained silent, and let bullies pick on me especially my father and my second sister who love to find faults in me and yelled at me for no reasons. I hadn't the slightest idea what was going on with my body and mind.
Meanwhile, I was panicking inside, and I did not know who I could confide in besides my mother and “Ms. Kaladevi”, one my favourite teacher when I was at standard five. I grew up in a middle class family who taught me about the cultural and family values, for example, respecting and admiring the elders. I kept having intrusive, unwanted thoughts about not being good enough. I stood in front of mirrors, combing my hair over and over, trying to get it just right. I did not eat much, but I made myself feel better by eating few loaves of breads. I did not join any after-school activities; I kept to myself and just went through the motions.
In college I had a series of panic attacks based on my fear of failure and rejection. One specific attack came on during final exam week. A day before the Statistic exam, my heart rate soared to 160. I had to go for a short break and take an incomplete for the semester, and I was devastated.
Fortunately, I underwent some treatment at HUKM , where a specialist diagnosed me with panic disorder. This was back in 2001, when many in the community knew little about these disorders. It took me about a month to realize that I was not crazy and that I had nothing to be ashamed of. I continued to see my psychiatrist for about a year.
While the drug Prozac did it job of keeping away my intrusive thoughts and panic, I experienced weight gain, lethargy, and slower reflexes. This became a challenge that I decided to accept.
Even though