Thanks for visiting - if you like the blog, tell your friends and leave comments. You can follow me on twitter @julesevans77

Friday, 9 April 2010

Online CBT

Check out the video for FearFighter, the online CBT programme provided by the NHS for people suffering from anxiety disorders. I love the actors involved - it's like an episode of Casualty!

But here's the question - why the hell is the programme closed to those with a password? I mean, WTF? Provide it to everyone!

6 comments:

Michel Daw said...

very emotionally heavy. it does kind of suck you in though. especially since i have know people like this.

Jules Evans said...

shit, i was people like this.

mukyo65 said...

Hi Jules
the reason that the program is password protected is that the NHS is charged everytime the program is used.

Jules Evans said...

Well, someone should invent an open source version that everyone around the world can use.

A lot of people with social anxiety are too socially anxious to go see a GP, so they won't get the password.

Jules Evans said...

Props to Tuvi Orbach for inventing and patenting Beating the Blues, the online CBT system the NHS uses for depression treatment, and to whoever invented FearFighter.

But seriously, you can't patent CBT, it's a very simple therapy based on Stoic philosophy, and was invented thousands of years ago.

The NHS should not have to pay every time someone uses online CBT, and anyone should be able to access it without a password.

If the inventors of FearFighter and Beating the Blues have a problem with this, the NHS should simply make its own programmes - it's not rocket science.

This would save the government money, and it would help millions of people all over the world.

mukyo65 said...

Hi Jules

That would be great but it takes a long time to get clinical approval for these things and as always the devil is in the detail. As an Nhs therapist myself we are always looking for new ways of working