Jexa-- I can sooooo relate!
I feel your frustration and pain.... I do.... I do....

just being told it's irrational does nothing for me-- in fact like you-- it makes the "spiral" even lower and faster..... ugh.......
I had a T. that said that to me once-- "your thinking is irrational".... argh!! it just caused me to be more upset and chased me away from help for 5 additional years. argh!.....

I've been working extremely hard and intensely now, on putting such thoughts and feelings with past(childhood) traumas/upsets.... and though I"ve only gotten maybe 20% of my "trigger" thinking to heal-- at least FINALLY there is some relief....... finally..... (was so tired of it all, 2 years ago-- I truly thought the only way away from all this turmoil in my head was to end it all, I couldn't see/achieve any relief)

I guess depending on how ones mind works and the kind of trauma and the age the trauma occured perhaps even the family genetics of mental wellness-- all depends on what kind of therapy works for you.

farmergirl-- I think it's wonderful that just straight CBT works so well for you.
The T. I see does two kinds with me-- we look at my past, since I have no grasp(usually) on why I have such knee jerk reactions to some things.... and then she helps me to realize the thoughts that I've dissected are what's causing the dysfunction..... but I know I need the dissecting of the thoughts/feelings first or else those thoughts will just keep coming back and back and back...... ....feels like being caught in a tornado with no power and such anxiety-- being thrown around in my head and unable to hold on to something on my own- to get control..... I think if one has never/or doesnt experience this then they are further along on the healing path....(IMO) and are quite fortunate to not be so-- stuck in the muck....

with respect to all

fins