• Replies 5 replies
  • Subscribers 83 subscribers
  • Views 6058 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Anxiety and problems with exposure therapy

Ladybird

I’m trying to combat my anxiety.

Apparently exposure should work and I think it does to some extent but then after a while my anxiety level goes up again.

For example - using public transport. 

At first I’m terrified and I’m trying to be prepared for every possible situation which makes me super stressed about every detail (what bus/train to take, from where, how to buy a ticket, what to say, how much it costs, where to get out and so on). 

If I manage to do it I’ve got horrible headache afterwards and I’m so exhausted that all I want to do is to go home and lay down. 

But to get used to doing it I need more exposure. 

So I’m forcing myself to do something even though it continues to be anxiety provoking.

But then there are two problems.

First-even through taking train/bus from A to B might be less stressful than it was at the beginning, taking train/bus from C to D is almost as stressful as the journey form A to B was at the beginning.

Second-I noticed that after a while I’m getting more and more stressed and anxious going from A to B. I don’t want to do it anymore and I feel sick thinking about having to do it again.

And I should be fine, shouldn’t I? 

Because exposure should work for anxiety.

I would like to be able to go somewhere by myself, without the help of my family.

I must be doing something wrong but what?

Parents

  • Exposure therapy does not work for people on the autism spectrum because over exposure to sensory inputs/information causes us to suffer, not get better.

    I find that I can cope better if I feel in control. I have to travel by bus to work 4 days a week and I minimise the stress by making sure I know the timetable and downloading an e-ticket from my local bus company's app which covers the area I'm travelling in for a set period of time, so when I board I just hold my phone under the scanner.

    However it sounds like you are trying to learn to travel to various places you are not that familiar with, as you say you don't know where to get off? Or is it that you need to travel somewhere and usually someone goes with you but you cannot do it on your own?

    If you really need or want to be able to travel on public transport, I can only suggest trying planning with the help of the internet & apps before you go. Find out if the train/bus company has an app that can help you plan your journey & download tickets. Use Google maps to see where you're going, which also has a "directions" function: it should link to local bus services and tell you arrival times and how many stops on your journey, and can show you the street view of places, so you know what your destination looks like. Travelling to the same place at the same time on a pre planned journey a few times may help you, as our brains can respond to routine, but don't be upset if it doesn't work out, it's not your fault.

    Hope things improve for you 're the anxiety. 

Reply

  • Exposure therapy does not work for people on the autism spectrum because over exposure to sensory inputs/information causes us to suffer, not get better.

    I find that I can cope better if I feel in control. I have to travel by bus to work 4 days a week and I minimise the stress by making sure I know the timetable and downloading an e-ticket from my local bus company's app which covers the area I'm travelling in for a set period of time, so when I board I just hold my phone under the scanner.

    However it sounds like you are trying to learn to travel to various places you are not that familiar with, as you say you don't know where to get off? Or is it that you need to travel somewhere and usually someone goes with you but you cannot do it on your own?

    If you really need or want to be able to travel on public transport, I can only suggest trying planning with the help of the internet & apps before you go. Find out if the train/bus company has an app that can help you plan your journey & download tickets. Use Google maps to see where you're going, which also has a "directions" function: it should link to local bus services and tell you arrival times and how many stops on your journey, and can show you the street view of places, so you know what your destination looks like. Travelling to the same place at the same time on a pre planned journey a few times may help you, as our brains can respond to routine, but don't be upset if it doesn't work out, it's not your fault.

    Hope things improve for you 're the anxiety. 

Children
No Data