More detail
Reduce the worry and the difficulty behind it
Some worries need practical support as well as reassurance
After repeatedly losing things or missing commitments, you may start checking everything or avoiding situations where another mistake seems likely. Being told that nothing will go wrong may not help when it has gone wrong before.
Separate the two parts in a real example: ‘I am afraid of what this letter says’ and ‘I cannot work out what to do with it’. Opening it with someone you trust can make room to address the worry and identify the action.
Make CBT fit the way you take in information
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps you work with thoughts and behaviours that keep anxiety going. It often includes exercises between appointments. Listening to the explanation, remembering it later and starting the exercise are different demands.
If you miss parts of a session, ask to pause after each main point. Explain it back in your own words, so gaps can be cleared up there. If writing while listening means you lose the thread, ask for the key points afterwards.
Agree the homework before you leave
Choose an actual situation with your therapist and do the first example together. Agree how much practice is realistic and where you will keep the instructions. Put the reminder in place during the appointment.
At the next session, distinguish ‘I forgot’, ‘I could not get started’ and ‘I was frightened to try’. They need different responses. Missed practice is useful information about the plan, not a reason to hide what happened.
When anxiety remains
Practical organisation will not treat every anxiety problem. If panic, fear or avoidance keeps restricting your life, speak with your GP or therapist about treatment for the anxiety itself. If it changes after a medication change, tell your prescriber when the change started.