Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I'm having a bit of a rubbish day so would appreciate any advice. After a long wait to see a gp regarding my anxiety which is really affecting me I wasn't allowed a prescription for an antidepressant as the gp believes that a non medicated route is the best.
Normally I just take beta blockers but I'm struggling with low mood and anxiety more than usual. I explained that I am saving up for a private assessment for autism and told him that I believe that sensory overload and general fear of social interaction due to being crap at it is the main factor in my panic attacks.
Has anyone found that medication has helped them or should I suck it up and resign myself to the fate of being permanently anxious for ever?
I've tried CBT on four separate occasions and it hasn't worked for me at all so I am a little pessimistic about talking therapies in general.
I'm currently on Venlafaxine, but have tried several others over the last four years. None of them have ever had any direct effect on my mood, but have at least made my negative intrusive thoughts easier to manage, which are the main cause of my depression anyway.
My Doctor referred me to an assessment as to which talking therapy might help me best, where I was told that CBT wouldn't work for me at all (presumably I'm too difficult), but after a long wait I eventually had a year of NHS Psychotherapy which didnt work either. I got on very well with my Psychotherapist though & it was her suggestion that I had an ASD assessment leading to my diagnosis last year.
Not sure what the next step is, my problems all seem to relate to 'My Sense of Self' (or lack of it) rather than social interaction. My Doctor has asked me to research therapies aimed at people on the Autistic Spectrum, but since there is so much variation of expression, that seems to be a bit of a contradiction, i.e. How can you specialise in something so diverse?
I don't think CBT didn't work for you because you're "too difficult".
LOTS of people on this forum have found CBT to be ineffective. The reason seems to be that CBT is structured to suit NT thought processes and isn't easily changed to suit ND thought processes. Most CBT therapists are unwilling to change their prescribed practices, but there are (somewhere out there) therapists who specialise in ASD (they appear to be few and far between).
Your best bet is to read up on as many types of therapy as are available to you in your area and choose the best fit, making sure that whichever therapist you choose / get, knows about your ASD and is willing to accommodate it within their prescribed practice.