Unfortunately, this deal has expired 25 March 2019.
*
2050°
Posted 8 January 2019
Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT - FREE ONLINE COURSE BY FUTURE LEARN / READING UNIVERSITY
Shared by
Dingdong007
Joined in 2012
12
859
About this deal
This deal is expired. Here are some options that might interest you:
As someone who has experienced the rigmarole of going through the "correct" channels, I have been looking for online courses / free material but its quite daunting not knowing where to begin, and I came across this and thought it would be a good starting point.
Start date: 28th January
Duration: 5 weeks
Weekly Study: 3 hours
Description:
Improve your understanding of depression and anxiety and find out more about an effective and evidence-based treatment: CBT
Why join the course?
Feeling sad or anxious at some point during your life is very normal and can often be resolved with the help of friends or family. But occasionally, these feelings can develop into more long-lasting mental health difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Around a quarter of the population are directly affected each year by mental health difficulties where more specialist help and support is needed. This course offers an insight into two of the most commonly diagnosed mental health difficulties: anxiety and depression.
This five week course will improve your understanding and knowledge around depression and anxiety, dispel some common myths about these disorders, and introduce you to a leading, effective treatment for both disorders, called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or ‘CBT’ for short).
Understanding depression and anxiety
Getting to grips with depression and anxiety is a learning journey. In order to fully understand these difficulties we first need to understand how we process and make sense of the world around us, and how our emotional state may play an active role in this process. During the first week, we will explore this in more detail and there will be opportunities to consolidate your learning with a number of relevant practical activities.
We will then look at depression and anxiety in turn, and will consider: how these disorders differ from ‘normal’ emotional states, highlight associated signs and symptoms, and explore some of the factors which may be responsible for maintaining these difficulties using a cognitive behavioural framework.
The final two weeks will be devoted to illustrating how CBT can be used to treat depression and anxiety. Each week you’ll have the opportunity to engage in activities to help you apply the knowledge you gain on the course. There will be information to download, and interviews with experts and patients to help you understand more about these common disorders and one of the ways in which they can be successfully treated.
It is important to emphasise that this online course is not intended to be a self-help ‘treatment’ for anyone experiencing anxiety or depression, nor can the information within it be used to formally ‘diagnose’ yourself or anyone else displaying symptoms of anxiety or depression. If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, you should in the first instance consult your primary healthcare professional. If you are feeling low or suicidal, or simply need someone to talk to, you can contact the Samaritans - a 24 hour listening service on 08457 90 90 90 or samaritans.org . If you are taking this course from outside of the UK and Ireland, then you can contact Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org) who offer emotional support worldwide.
Who is the course for?
This beginner’s course is aimed at anyone with an interest in mental illness generally, and anxiety and depression in particular. This may include:
• those who are currently experiencing or have previously experienced emotional difficulties,
• family and friends of those who are experiencing emotional difficulties,
• primary (or other) healthcare professionals who have a frontline role in detecting mental health difficulties and offering appropriate support and guidance to those affected.
What do people say about this course?
"This course has shown evidence of the effectiveness of CBT and has been useful in explaining the difference between the methods used for the different disorders. The reason I started this course was to try to help myself understand why I feel the way I do when I am in the grip of anxiety or a low mood period. The course has improved the knowledge I already had and has provided hope for the future that things won't be so bad as I have methods and ways of helping myself to tackle the negative thoughts and facing fears. Thank You to the course organisers and contributors for all the knowledge, information and support given/shared throughout."
Karen Stapley
Option to upgrade for £52: This gives you unlimited access to the material, able to go back into it and view the material after the course has finished
Start date: 28th January
Duration: 5 weeks
Weekly Study: 3 hours
Description:
Improve your understanding of depression and anxiety and find out more about an effective and evidence-based treatment: CBT
Why join the course?
Feeling sad or anxious at some point during your life is very normal and can often be resolved with the help of friends or family. But occasionally, these feelings can develop into more long-lasting mental health difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Around a quarter of the population are directly affected each year by mental health difficulties where more specialist help and support is needed. This course offers an insight into two of the most commonly diagnosed mental health difficulties: anxiety and depression.
This five week course will improve your understanding and knowledge around depression and anxiety, dispel some common myths about these disorders, and introduce you to a leading, effective treatment for both disorders, called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or ‘CBT’ for short).
Understanding depression and anxiety
Getting to grips with depression and anxiety is a learning journey. In order to fully understand these difficulties we first need to understand how we process and make sense of the world around us, and how our emotional state may play an active role in this process. During the first week, we will explore this in more detail and there will be opportunities to consolidate your learning with a number of relevant practical activities.
We will then look at depression and anxiety in turn, and will consider: how these disorders differ from ‘normal’ emotional states, highlight associated signs and symptoms, and explore some of the factors which may be responsible for maintaining these difficulties using a cognitive behavioural framework.
The final two weeks will be devoted to illustrating how CBT can be used to treat depression and anxiety. Each week you’ll have the opportunity to engage in activities to help you apply the knowledge you gain on the course. There will be information to download, and interviews with experts and patients to help you understand more about these common disorders and one of the ways in which they can be successfully treated.
It is important to emphasise that this online course is not intended to be a self-help ‘treatment’ for anyone experiencing anxiety or depression, nor can the information within it be used to formally ‘diagnose’ yourself or anyone else displaying symptoms of anxiety or depression. If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, you should in the first instance consult your primary healthcare professional. If you are feeling low or suicidal, or simply need someone to talk to, you can contact the Samaritans - a 24 hour listening service on 08457 90 90 90 or samaritans.org . If you are taking this course from outside of the UK and Ireland, then you can contact Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org) who offer emotional support worldwide.
Who is the course for?
This beginner’s course is aimed at anyone with an interest in mental illness generally, and anxiety and depression in particular. This may include:
• those who are currently experiencing or have previously experienced emotional difficulties,
• family and friends of those who are experiencing emotional difficulties,
• primary (or other) healthcare professionals who have a frontline role in detecting mental health difficulties and offering appropriate support and guidance to those affected.
What do people say about this course?
"This course has shown evidence of the effectiveness of CBT and has been useful in explaining the difference between the methods used for the different disorders. The reason I started this course was to try to help myself understand why I feel the way I do when I am in the grip of anxiety or a low mood period. The course has improved the knowledge I already had and has provided hope for the future that things won't be so bad as I have methods and ways of helping myself to tackle the negative thoughts and facing fears. Thank You to the course organisers and contributors for all the knowledge, information and support given/shared throughout."
Karen Stapley
Option to upgrade for £52: This gives you unlimited access to the material, able to go back into it and view the material after the course has finished
More details from
Community Updates
Edited by Dingdong007, 8 January 2019
95 Comments
sorted byA great book is Stop Thinking Start Living by Richard Carlson, which teaches you to overcome negative thinking.
No need for the sarcy comments please, maybe if you did the course you would get a better understanding of how it affects people (edited)
I've done an NHS-funded CBT course and even though I socialised with the other patients really well - the course itself I felt was too generalised for people's complex emotional problems and histories.
It's not meant to be taken personally, but it did feel a bit - insulting, especially the way the tutors raved on and on about it being the "NHS' Number One Treatment For Mental Health" - it very much felt as though they were delighted they'd won the contract, or something. That "sales pitch" took up one whole class (three hours) - telling us how wonderful it was.
Consider this - if you're prone to irrational thoughts, moods, sleep problems and anxieties you don't understand, especially when those issues are long term, how can you merely think them away? (Those tutors didn't like me saying this). Most people need to dig much deeper than hanging their hopes onto superficial remedies such as this.
If some people can reverse their negative ruminations and moodswings through this method, I'm all for it, but CBT won't work for everyone.
Also, the people around you and the support network you have - the NHS can't prescribe that - isolation is the biggest kicker with mental health and adds to your frustrations. Sometimes you may have loads of people around you and they just dismiss your anxieties as "craziness".
I've been watching Marisa Peer's videos on Youtube and some of what she says resonates much more than a "one solution fixes all/think your thought patterns away" solution. There are also slightly "wackier" treatments like EFT (plenty of info about that online), but I found that a bit ridiculous. (edited)
I've also enjoyed some of the EDX courses which are free and of a very high standard. Developmental psychology for example.
The problem in the NHS is CBT is branded a miracle cure because many GP's and MH teams are quite clueless about mental health and won't listen to the patient.
Theyve just wasted nearly 2 years of my life (a gp, MH team and CMHT) forcing me to do CBT when I knew it wouldn't work for me. When I expressed my concerns I was told I'm making excuses and unless I took it, I clearly don't want help.
Even MIND staff had said it wouldn't work for me. The thing is it simply doesn't focus on the past. It's all about the here and now so if a past issue affects someone, it isn't resolved through CBT.
2 years of my life was wasted being on the waiting list and having CBT.
The NHS are pretty crappy all round to be honest. They will always tell people to phone the Samaritans if they feel suicidal and brand then as a help service. When actually the Samaritans are NOT a help service. They are a listening service that aren't there to give help or direct people to the help they need. It's just there to hear someone in a time of need.
At the moment I'm demanding access to my medical records because I'm sick and tired of never being listened to and having the correct help. It makes me wonder if a played down version of things has wrongly been put down on my medical records by a MH team and that's what is stopping me ever being taken seriously
I'm sorry you have had that experience.
I've found these courses much more detailed and rounded than the half day generic paid for courses that many companies offer. But I assume you making this statement having done this course already?
May i also add by strongly recommending the book 'Lost Connections' by Johann Hari.
Even if you havent experienced severe Anxiety or Depression yourself, it may help understand the causes to avoid it in the future or help loved ones going through difficult times.
Pay it Forward.
Exactly. It's good that there's been a shift in people's understanding and realisation that there's no shame in looking after your mental health as much as your physical health.
I'm glad things are moving this way.
Would also recommend his interview on the Joe Rogan podcast, available on youtube.
Haven't read the book yet, it's on my reading list for this year, glad to see a recommendation here! Confirms it is a good choice.
CBT IS a therapy that does not focus on past issues. If past events and things are affecting someone then CBT doesn't cater for that. That is a fact via doing CBT twice myself, being in touch with MIND and even things about CBT on the NHS website.
Instead for that situation CAT is the therapy to have.
In that regard yes I would say I am probably more qualified than a GP with it because they have a very vague understanding of MH problems. Why is it that it's always the same with them? Where it's so black and white. If someone has anxiety then CBT is the answer. If someone is depressed, meds are the answer. If someone is suicidal then they are told the Samaritans can help.
Why do MH teams use the point scale system still when MIND are campaigning to get it scrapped as they don't think it's fit for purpose?
Why is it that nearly every week people commit suicide after not being listened to and given the right help for them?
If you look around, on mental health forums there's endless posts about GP's not understanding or giving someone the wrong help. Many have then secured funding to have the treatment privately that they needed all along and have been better after
You've hit the nail on the head - it's common sense it's not the one size fits all miracle cure the NHS tout it as (these professionals must know this). It's merely something for your "toolbox" (if you like) that may/may not work towards controlling thought patterns.
I'm starting to feel the whole MH system is snake oil. Nobody knows what they're doing - I have done rounds of psychotherapy and get told I have "great insight" but that doesn't help me overcome ruminating thoughts, moodswings, bad insomnia, panic attacks and anxiety that sometimes hits me like a sledgehammer. Medication (and I've taken all sorts) helps me sleep but then I spend most of the day feeling dopey and lacklustre (when I first started taking my current medication I could sleep for 16 hours and easily go back to bed!).
Your example of MH services offering the Samaritans as a support is an indicator of the lack of resources - Samaritans* are just trained volunteers - who then of course refer you to your GP/mental health team - this in itself a red flag. Going around in circles till - you go away? You miraculously get better?
*I sometimes post on Elefriends if I'm feeling particularly bad and just want to vent. Some people on there struggle much worse than I do and you see that common theme. There is something very wrong when you read about seriously mentally ill people phoning Samaritans every day for hours on end (as I've seen some on there post about). Maybe they just want a friendly voice - but it's shocking that it's the only help they feel they have? It's maybe a distraction of some sort? (edited)
You are an absolute idiot and have literally no idea what you're talking about. Jumping to this conclusion based on no information makes you seem incredibly uneducated. Please delete your account and never give advice to anyone again.
Acording to the NHS "Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think" i think that joke would of been the first step of this CBT course
Thanks. Yep seen the Joe Rogan interview, it is a good representation and he does cover most of the book (although Joe was a bit argumentative a couple of times during it but i think that was Joe trying to test Johann's reactions)
Obviously the Interview doesnt go into as much detail.
He has also done a great Ted talk on Addiction that i recommend (youtube). Ive changed alot of my views on Addiction since watching it...
But....Read the book. Trust me.
"You need your Nausea. It is a message, and we need to listen to the message to know what is wrong with you"
Hi Kate, in the Worcestershire area as long as you are registered to a GP here you can self-refer to an online CBT programme where you also get support from a therapist throughout it (need to do a 30 minute call assessment initially)
hacw.nhs.uk/our…es/
Where abouts are you as can try and have a look online to see if similar service offered?
I'm the least angry person you could ever meet. However, one therapist did say "frustration is a form of anger".
I am very open minded - as I said, I am often told I have great insight - don't you think depressives have already done deep, deep analysis already? Not many mentally ill people walk around with empty heads.
Depression is often the end product of trauma, bad experiences, a damaged esteem, you're also telling people they can think their way through it. If it was that simple we'd all be cured by CBT. (edited)
Title says online course.
Recently there has been campaigns to make this compulsory within UK businesses.
Great find.
This is not true. Lots of patients benefit from self help, Its usually offered if they are motivated and wish to try it. It's often recommended as an interim measure as due to underfunding and poor staffing there are usually long waits to see counsellors.
There's a self help on insomnia on the
moodjuice website
moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/Sle…asp
This is exactly the time when an acronym should be used. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an extremely long term, especially if you're saying it often enough. CBT is much less hassle to say.
It’s online (edited)
And your obviously more qualified than a gp or a mental health team...
your past is your depression, you may benefit from reading the book power of now, our past may be the thing that haunts you but to actively see that you have the ability to change your mood from awareness of where your mind is thinking.
everything you want in life is here in the now, your past may have effected you but your perception of the now is being held back by your past, this is only something you must realize and come to terms with.
depression is unresolved past, anxiety is a fear of the future. the way to sanity and happiness is realization is now is the only thing that matters
You've said a few times you don't know what you're dealing with. Everyone is individual, sorry, but your "do this, do that" generalisations aren't helpful. My panic attacks started from around 9-10 years old, nothing to do with boyfriends (?).
I know a lot of this stuff already? Sleep hygiene? Taking care of your thought patterns? Lifestyle?
Knowing some of the reasons why - you have endured past traumas and how you've responded to them - actually doesn't make you better - you're still left with the end product, the aftermath, if you like.
I'm not "settling" for irrationality, this is not something anyone would willingly choose. That uncontrollable, unknowable aspect is there, and it ebbs and flows. I am sane (otherwise I wouldn't be able to rationally articulate myself or my opinions) but my anxiety is all over the place, especially these last few weeks. (edited)
There are also free apps like Destressify and the Insight Timer which have lots of guided meditations that help you to relax.
I tried Headspace but felt it was poor and overpriced - lot of better, free, material out there imo.
If you also Google CBT exercises you will find lots of stuff to get you started. Like all things though, you need to stick at it until the principles stay in your head - relief from anxiety and negative thinking doesn't come easily, but with practise you can stop yourself automatically thinking bad stuff and learn to let those thoughts and feelings go.
I found these books useful, as well as the ones I mentioned earlier. Look for used ones on Abe Books rather than buying new:
Self Help for Your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes is an amazing book. Dated, but it feels like having a friend sat next to you. It has a method for overcoming anxiety and panic that I found really works.
Feeling Good, New Mood Therapy by Dr David Burns is a very thorough CBT book. Often used by doctors.
The Worry Cure by David Leahy - an easy to read CBT book on overcoming worry and anxiety.
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Bourne. Lots of CBT exercises to work through to help you rationalise negative thoughts and feelings.
Best wishes. (edited)
Excercise can help but everyone is different you body can be so so tired but you mind is working overtime feels like someone has injected caffeine into the brain just because the body is tired does not mean you can rest mentally
Look at yourself and the life you lead, you are not in a position to give anyone advice, ever. You are the one attacking random people when you clearly have huge issues that you can't deal with. (edited)
There is literally a style of CBT called CBT for insomnia.
It is NICE recommended as 1st line treatment so you should have no problem getting your GP to make a referral.
There are also online courses like sleepio which are also NHS funded in some areas, otherwise you have to pay out of pocket.
Or maybe engage you're logical brain and see the evidence, mental health has become less stigmatised therefore more people feel able to talk about it. Depression is extremely common, you'd know that if you weren't wilfully ignorant. (edited)
There's always one isn't there....
Apologies if that's how you read it. But acronyms for the sake of it are a pet hate of mine. Why make an acronym up if you then have to explain what it stands for? Some things in regular everyday use deserve to be shortened to a acronym... Others should be left as they are and save our time in decoding them.
It's not the answer but I found this video really useful when I was at my worst with sleeping problems. I've been doing the counting exercise everyday for about two years and I'd say I have one bad night a month compared to one or two a week I used to have.