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Anybody else done occupational therapy as an adult?

maxlinger60

To skip my rant, go to the fourth paragraph. 

Hi friends. 

I am, in the words of my family, a very smart individual who can't take care of my ***. I've got that mad spiky profile, and the medical records to show that no matter how well equipped you should be to take on the world, sometimes your whole life can get ruined by missing enough emails. I've dropped the ball on numerous jobs, failed multiple schools, but damnit, I've been trying so hard. I've turned my part time job into a nearly full time job by being a thorn in my boss's side, worked volunteering at the shelter into every off day, completely cut processed food out of my diet, and dragged myself from suicidal depression into a relatively stable place.

However, I still have great anxiety when it comes to starting tasks, pushing them along, and finishing. I still struggle to put a grocery list together, get overwhelmed at budgeting, stall tasks as simple as changing the laundry over, and have music blaring 24/7 to just keep my mind going in one direction. Some days, like today, the overstimulation spillover is enough that getting out of bed feels like walking on hot coals.

In the end, I was told by my psychologist I either need inpatient or intensive outpatient occupational therapy. and I'm not sure how to feel. My parents are harsh but fair, and while they still don't get why I can't get it together enough to deal with my ish, they will work to get me the best in life, which I am ever grateful for. Still, it feels like a cop out not—how hard could it be to pull myself up by my bootstraps and organize my calendar so I don't miss a hair appointment? A little part of me argues that I was diagnosed far too late to truly need this level of support, though I know that's unfair.

END OF RANT

TLDR: I either need inpatient or intensive outpatient occupational therapy as an underdeveloped, struggling adult. and I'm not sure how to feel. I feel like a fraud and a manchild. I feel like I shouldn't be able to take the easy way out, when so many people work their tails off to make ends meet. I feel like I'm taking resources from actually struggling people who need it, even though this lack of executive function has nearly killed me on multiple occasions from me forgetting to eat, drink water, etc.

So, any thoughts, friends?

  • What would this OT entail? What's its purpose etc?

  • Occupational Therapy isn't just for a particular age group - at different stages in our lives we can welcome assistance in finding better techniques to aid our daily living tasks. 

    What if you have learned to do a task a hard way for you - and an OT were to know of dome other strategies to give you a repertoire of easier options to lighten your experience of achieving the same task?

    It can be about presenting techniques, options and strategies - which you may not have discovered - but with an OT's support you might like to try out and see if some of those things might work better for you compared to how you manage things currently.

    What is on a good day; how you currently do things works out pretty much OK ...but on a low energy day the same approach doesn't best serve your need to do something when exhausted.  Wouldn't you want to learn about alternatives strategies and adaptions to keep in mind when you are struggling a bit and a different technique could make things more achievable on a challenging day?

    Some OT's also can get involved with supporting Autistic people with access-to-work funded sessions.

    It might also be helpful to find out if there are any different types of equipment which can be helpful - which you may not have had the opportunity to consider before.

    Having done some work with an OT you might find it helps to inform you about some additional reasonable adjustments to make it more comfortable when you navigate various settings.  Things which you might not have discovered by yourself.

    Here is a weird but true example.  I can get a strange finger / hand cramp when lifting a kettle to make a cup of coffee.  It isn't arthritis and it isn't a feature of age group - it is something with which I have always struggled and is frankly an off-putting aspect of enjoyment of drinking a mug of coffee.  This is bad news as although it can seem a very small matter - anything which discourages me from remembering to drink or actually getting around to fixing myself a drink is important.  And yet, I had never mentioned that difficulty to anyone.

    One of my non-Autistic sports-loving friends injured their arm / shoulder as a result of an awkward fall from riding a horse.  Although bones were not broken; there was significant areas of soft tissue injuries and lots of daily tasks were now challenging and likely to be so for 6 to 8 weeks while everything healed.  She mentioned that she had booked herself in to see her sports physio guy - to get some fresh perspective on "how do I now? ...loads of daily selfcare tasks".  She told me about a couple of his how-to alternative recommendations - one of which struck me as "doh!" - why hadn't I thought of that for myself before?  (I felt a bit of a burke, it was such a very obvious idea). 

    Get a little lightweight 400 / 500 ml travel kettle, set it up in the kitchen and use that when all you are trying to do is boil enough water for a mug of coffee. 

    Yep, that works. 

    I am now the proud owner of an Argos Cookworks £12 travel kettle now - no more hand cramp, one less impediment to keeping suitably hydrated.  One of my best £12 purchases in my history.

    I also find it easier to control for filling a thermos flask to take with me out and about (400 / 500 ml travel kettle ... meet 300 ml thermal mug, or 500 ml thermos flask. 

    Much easier, safer and more comfortable.  It is more economical too - as you are more likely to only heat (to boil) the amount of water that you need.

    How many decades had I previously struggled-on with a standard kitchen kettle?  (I decline to admit to that detail - as now it strikes me as both ignorant and frankly daft - why hadn't I just mentioned the issue to someone before?  Live and learn - at any age!).

  • I'm not sure what you are asking, but there seems to be two main points:

    1. Do you believe the psychologist? Why would they be wrong? If they are correct , then you need to accept their recommendation and work with them to make things as good as possible. If you don't believe them, then get a second opinion.
    2. What does the evidence show? Can you cope if you are completely honest? If you tried your best would things be ok, or do you need some help? Maybe some intensive help to give you effective coping strategies would make the difference. It is not about being ok some days,  but being ok every day.

    Only you really know if you are exploiting your situation. If you are trying your best but things keep going wrong then maybe you need some help.

    As with everything in life, could you do a little bit more, maybe, but not everywhere, all the time, sustainably. Life is a challenge for everyone, there are always struggles, so it is not about finding everything easy, it's about not being totalled derailed if something goes wrong.

    Perhaps with close observation and support they can teach you ways you can help yourself better.