Nowadays, it seems that everyone wants to talk openly about mental health problems. There isn’t a day goes by when someone in the public eye doesn’t reveal their battle with depression, anxiety, bereavement, panic attacks…delete as appropriate.
By famous people talking openly about these issues, it somehow makes them seem human, like the rest of us. We are all human and it doesn’t matter who you are, we all suffer from the same fears and difficulties in life. Cheryl Cole, pop singer and former member of the girl band, Girls Aloud, has already reported how CBT has helped her overcome real deep-rooted negativity and anxiety which had embedded itself into her behaviours.
Another pop diva, Ellie Goulding, now a noted wellness warrior, has used CBT to help her overcome crippling panic attacks. Stormzy, the hip hop hero, has revealed his struggles with depression. Stephen Fry, the actor, has gone into print about how it is to live as someone with bipolar disorder. Even Prince William has given interviews to the media about the difficulties he suffered after the tragic death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. It is not difficult to find media reports about someone in the public eye opening up about difficulties in their personal lives which have probably not been reported before.
Some celebrities have used CBT to successfully overcome their issues and there is a bit of feeling that these people in the public eye must be using the most expensive therapist and are perhaps accessing help that is not available to lesser mortals. Well, just as celebrity couples actually experience all the same issues like normal people (okay, maybe not the money worries) so their CBT therapy is no different to the type of help you might receive from your local CBT professional. The only difference is probably the price tag as doubtless, therapists to the stars can charge a bob or two more.
CBT is not one of those situations where the more you pay the better it is. Look at it this way, you are doing all the work not the therapist, they are merely the facilitator and ringmaster if things turn ugly. They are there to guide you on your CBT journey.
There are no grades of CBT which some people can access and others can’t.
CBT therapy and therapists all promote the same journey whether you are rich and famous or just Mr and Mrs Ordinary. CBT is currently the most popular talking therapy and so of course, it will have a celebrity following and a cachet because of that, a sort of circle of demand. Some people maintain that it is only successful because of the talking element which you can do with anyone. The trouble is that the dynamic for couples is so different to the individual. Many couples don’t want to share their problems collectively with friends and family and as for talking to each other, that particular avenue of support may have long since ceased to function. CBT is about more than just talking.
A CBT professional can just offer that key to help you and your partner unlock the endless circle of recurring difficulties and problems, whoever you are.
