My two main fears about how the CBT is going have been lifted.

Last Thursday, I asked J about the dihydrocodeine and whether the knowledge of how my panic attack disorder and subsequent agoraphobia started would have changed the direction in which my treatment was going. I didn't explain it too well (thanks to only 2 hours sleep the previous night) and he thought I meant "would he have had reservations about treating someone who got addicted to opiate analgesics?" Eventually, we both got our heads round what I was trying to say, and he told me that regardless of how it all started, the principle of the CBT is the same. *phew*

I then said I was worried about how long we had left for appointments. J reassured me that I wouldn't be "chucked out the door" half way to getting better, and that if needs be, I can be referred to his supervisor, D, who did my initial assessment a year ago. He also said that he could offer me weekly appointments instead of fortnightly, which I have accepted.

I feel a bit better about it all, although I still feel like I'm doing one of those orienteering things where you have to fall back into someone else's arms and trust that they'll be there to hold you...