Published on 12, July, 2020
All the sweaty bus trips, the expense, just to be told to basically go *** myself. Also the ND group I went to last week was just disappointing, I just sat listening and I felt like a basic *** who had nothing interesting to say and I got up and left 50 minutes in.
I basically have to be my own therapist and sounding board now. :(
because talk never achieves anything, the people you talk to/the councillors themselves are deadbeats with bad life choices who only went into that job because they dont really want to work and beoing a councillor is basically a easy being paid to do nothing job... thats why my sister, a lifelong benefit claimant who told me herself she never wants to work, tried to be a counsellor .... despite really terrible life choices and a innability to move or do anything for herself because she cant be bothered to do anything....therefore talk therapy is useless, the counsellors doing them are a mess and are useless themselves and they likely need to sort their lives out never mind the people they try to so called help. and i dunno... talking kinda doesnt work on the flip side too based on the patient...for example.. i was offered some talk therapy from my employment assistance programme... it wasnt even face to face but over the phone.... i didnt wanna open up to them over the phone.... maybe face to face it would feel more forced and id feel i need to? .... but it didnt help me the over phone counselor, and i couldnt even be honest with them as they said on topics like possible self harm theyd have to report you so you cant even speak about your feelings on that without knowing theyd have the police kick your door down and drag you to jail lol ... pretty useless... im not the type to talk over a phone anyway, im not the type to talk at all... i dont think talk therapy would work for people who have autistic traits that make them be too shy to talk or be not the verbal type.... then you can say about written talk therapy, but then yeah i dunno then its just me rambling like i am here and im not sure that helps anyway, but i do ramble alot online in text so perhaps it doesnt exactly help but is like a outlet. perhaps talk therapy isnt needed but something to flush the mind of everything thats on it, but talk therapy doesnt do that, it likely just adds more to your mind lol and doesnt clear the previous stuff.
Don’t think your response is helpful!
Perhaps give a reason why you say that? Even if it’s your experience, it won’t necessarily be other people’s!
yes
Depends on your expectations, which you may need to identify and curb?
Therapy isn’t a cure, it should help you make sense of your experience and offer ways of dealing with difficult emotions or blockages,
As another poster said, it’s about finding the right therapist, and what model of therapy they use?
Maybe it might be helpful if you do some research on various types of therapy, so that you can be more specific on the type of therapy you might prefer. It might also be good to reflect on whether you may be self sabotaging your therapy, consciously or unconsciously?
I’ve just finished 2 years of “Schema” Therapy, I’d identified that as a potential helpful method and it proved to be very helpful. That doesn’t mean I’m now Hunky Dory, it just means I have better options to put language on my experience that’s more helpful.
Sorry to hear you're having a tricky time right now.
It's not always straight forward finding the right therapist or therapy. Sometimes It takes having to try a few different forms of therapy or therapist before you find what actually works for you.
It's a shame that you found your ND group disappointing. Maybe its worth trying another go, and now you know roughly what to expect from the group, you can plan ahead on what you can talk about at the next session. Have a think what the group can offer and write down what you would like to talk about. If you really cant think of anything to talk about, then sometimes sitting there listening can be just fine.
I've been in similar group therapy, and found it incredibly awkward sitting there saying nothing whilst everyone else was talking, but some conversation I listen to are very helpful as I can relate to them and learn from the other people. Well done for pushing yourself and going in the first place.
If you feel things aren't working, there's absolutely no problem going back to the GP and saying it's not working and that you want to try something else. Have a think about what would work for you and areas that you want to work on.
If you're having thoughts of self harm or suicide, please seek advice on this page: https://www.autism.org.uk/contact-us/urgent-help
It seems like the more I ask for help the more I'm ignored or turned away and that pushes me further towards self harm or thinking about suicide.
Personally I couldn't have got through the last few years with anything like my present levels of sanity having weathered the storm if it weren't for talking therapy as an ongoing thing... for how much longer I'm not sure.
As HMO says, it's important to find someone who works with your personality, though there has to be a bit of give and take there as if all they're doing is making you feel comfy then you're probably not in the right zone to start adequately 'tilting the mirror'.
Unless they were being grossly unprofessional, I can't imagine that any therapist was trying to tell you to 'go **** yourself'. As someone who's sensitive myself I get how initial encounters can feel that way, but perserverance could really change that perception. I hope so, and wish you well.
That sounds interesting, thanks so much for flagging it.
I second this recommendation. The book is brilliant.
You just need one that works for you and your needs. I see a person-centred therapist and I'm pretty happy with her.
Not necessarily. You may find this book helpful (I certainly did, so this is a personal recommendation):
The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy - Paperback - 21 Feb. 2024 - by Steph Jones
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1839977310/
"In this candid, witty and insightful exploration into therapy, Steph Jones uses her professional and lived experiences as a late diagnosed autistic woman and therapist, as well as consulting therapists from across the world and tapping into the autistic community, to create the ultimate autistic survival guide to therapy."