Whatever type of fiber you choose, you must make sure to build dosage up gradually. If you add masses of fiber to your diet all at once you will probably feel very gassy and bloated. Instead, try just a small spoon of fiber once a day and build up to recommended dose on label. Most supplements will recommend that you take product with lots of water, and to make sure you are drinking enough water for rest of day as well.

It will take a little while before you see effects of supplement, so don’t give up if you don’t feel better after a few days. Try taking a supplement for one or two weeks to really give it time to work.

These days there are many different ways to take fiber supplements. You can buy traditional powder form, which is swallowed with water or soft food, or you can buy wafers, tablets or capsules, which can be very handy if you need to travel and don’t want to carry a whole can of fiber with you.

Most people prefer to take one dose of fiber in early morning, perhaps with their breakfast, and then another with dinner or just before their evening meal. You will need to experiment to find right dosage for your symptoms and best time to take fiber, but if you can find a supplement and dose that works for you it will be well worth effort, because you will have found a cheap, drug-free way to help keep your IBS under control.

These early maladaptive schema’s are self defeating emotional and cognitive patterns that begin early in our development and repeat throughout life. These schema’s then cause self defeating patterns or behaviours, i.e., difficulty in relationships, intense anger and attention seeking behaviour which can lead to depression and anxiety. Unless underlying schema has been healed or modified then self defeating behaviours will constantly repeat themselves resulting in client dipping in and out of depression and anxiety. Borderline clients will find themselves limping from crisis to crisis and service to service with no stability in their lives.

Treatment focuses on identifying maladaptive schema’s and lack of attachments or indeed dysfunctional attachments in childhood and adolescence. These deficits will be linked to present problems encountered in life. The therapist and client through therapy will attempt to heal dysfunctional schema’s which will result in less mental health difficulties and a more stable lifestyle.

Research

The latest research which has yet to be published by Arnoud Arntz on a clinical trial of schema-focused therapy for BPD reports that 50% of those treated no longer met criteria for BPD. Young,J.E, (2004) Conference, Strandmillis College, Belfast. Psychological Society.

References

Beck, A.T. Freeman, A., & Associates. (1990). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. New York: Guilford Press.

Young, J.E., Klosko, J.S., Weishaar, M.E. (2003). Schema Therapy. A practitioners guide. New York. Guilford Press.

Self Help

Young, J.E., Klosko, J.S. (1994) Reinventing your life. New York. Plume.

Web sites http://schematherapy.com

http://cognitive-therapist.co.uk

By Ken Walsh

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, (Nov, 2004)