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Therapy

NAS78131

Hi, I have been in this bought of depression and anxiety for nearly 2.5 years.  It’s getting very boring and tiring.  I have been having talking therapy and waiting for CBT but wondered if this needs to be done in a different way due to me being neurodivers?

I am waiting for diagnosis but as we all know it’s a long wait on the NHS and expensive to do privately.  I did pay for my sons assessment.

Also I seem to be so much worse at the moment.  Any unplanned external interruption seems to cause me to either have a panic attack or burst in to tears.  It’s really making my life difficult and it’s impossible for me to work.  I’m starting to feel as though I might have to leave my job, which I have always loved, because I can’t be outside my little bubble.

I just feel so lost and helpless

Parents

  • Hi there. Sorry to hear you have been having problems. I have bipolar and have had a range of therapy and medication for this. This was all before my autism was identified. I totally relate to feeling lost and helpless.

    I gave up my high power job because of my health and if there was one bit advice that I wish I had given myself was to use sick leave. And get employment advice.I understand that there is an employment advice line for Autism UK.

    I think the other advice I would give myself was that to understand myself and my mental health better. , I needed to understand my autism better. To understand that I need time to recover from burnout - which I'm having trouble with at the moment. To understand that I am autistic and that that affects everything in my life and that I need to adjust my environment to be in a better place mentally.

    Hang in there and be kind to yourself.

  • in reply to mrs.snooks

    Thank you Mrs.Snooks.  I am currently on statutory sick pay but will look into the employment advice.

    how would I know if I’ve got burnout?  And how do you learn to understand your autism?  I’ve been doing a lot of reading but don’t really know how to implement anything because I don’t know what the answer should be…!

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  • in reply to mrs.snooks

    Thank you Mrs.Snooks.  I am currently on statutory sick pay but will look into the employment advice.

    how would I know if I’ve got burnout?  And how do you learn to understand your autism?  I’ve been doing a lot of reading but don’t really know how to implement anything because I don’t know what the answer should be…!

Children
  • in reply to NAS78131

    Hi there. How are you doing? Thinking of you and hoping that you are doing okay.

    I think that there are two types of burnout I am having trouble with. One is autistic burnout through years of masking. And the other is work burnout which is slightly different. I have had a week off work to try and improve things for myself, but could really do with another 4 weeks! Grin Work has become all encompassing. I can't switch off from work, but I also dread it. That is the work burnout for me. I will go back to work on Monday, but my manager has said that if I need more time off, then that is okay.

    As far as understanding autism, I love this quote which I learnt from a Autism course that I am doing:

    The privilege of being oneself is a gift many taken for granted, but for an autistic person, being allowed to be oneself is the greatest and rarest gift of all

    [NB the original quotation refers to 'someone with AS']

    The quotation is taken from Alyssa Aleksanian's Chapter entitled 'Opening the Umbrella':

    Beardon, L. and Worton, D. (Eds) (2017). Bittersweet on the Autism Spectrum. London: Jessica Kingsley.

    I have been doing a lot of reading too. Which books have you found useful?

    Take care and look after yourself.

    Mrs Snooks