Autism / Aspergers Diagnosis & Mental Health support

I feel the forum could be a vey supportive environment. It is difficult when you build a relationship with a MH professional and then they move on and it destroys everything.
 

Simon_7001

New member
I feel the forum could be a vey supportive environment. It is difficult when you build a relationship with a MH professional and then they move on and it destroys everything.
I was handed off from one MH professional to another. Each one said "Tell me how did this all begin?" I then wasted about 3 weeks of "therapy" getting them up to speed, then they headed off for a new post elsewhere. I was then handed off to the next new recruit and had to start over again. So I wrote a letter and asked everyone taking over my case to READ it before seeing me. next person I met in therapy said "Tell me how this began" I wasted 3 weeks of therapy & then they said "well yes I did read your note but I wanted you to start again". I cursed them and said they had just wasted a month of my life for nothing.

However, one particular therapist was the total professional. He read my case file & started immediately at TODAY and said "OK whats cooking?" In 3 months he repaired a lot of damage and stress in my mind. Then he got moved on.
 
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I cursed them and said they had just wasted a month of my life for nothing.
This is such a terrible experience, having to start again many times over. They should not be allowed to move after 3 weeks. They should complete the whole course of therapy first. Did you find meds helpful? I know you said yo stopped them.
 

Simon_7001

New member
This is such a terrible experience, having to start again many times over. They should not be allowed to move after 3 weeks. They should complete the whole course of therapy first. Did you find meds helpful? I know you said yo stopped them.
3 weeks is a metaphor not meant literally... Medication was not helpful. Was on Sertaline and Seroxat for about 7 years.
 
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However, one particular therapist was the total professional. He read my case file & started immediately at TODAY and said "OK whats cooking?" In 3 months he repaired a lot of damage and stress in my mind.
That is really good. So therapy does work. Could you telk what type o therapy it was, or is it down to the person, the chemistry with the therapist?
 

Simon_7001

New member
That is really good. So therapy does work. Could you telk what type o therapy it was, or is it down to the person, the chemistry with the therapist?
Basically talking over things, discussing strategies, discussing alternative solutions to my automatic solutions & challenging a few firm beliefs I had. Also the therapist had a fine sense of humour, had bothered to engage by reading the case file and SHOW me he had read the case file by starting at today not the beginning. Therapists who said "tell me how this all began" had already lost my confidence as it said to me that they had not listened to the patient (me)
 
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Thunderchild

Moderator
i have not really had an answer to my aspergers assessment but got passed to ADHD. There the specialist cannot make his mind up and because i don't really know anyone we struggled to find someone to fill in a questionnaire but that was not the most useful as my work colleague obviously does not know me well enough so I am answering it myself as the specialist seemed to struggle to find the questions to ask.

My initial response from the doctors referral was"yes we will take you on for assessment but it may take a while as the service is overwhelmed".

I feel that they are more geared up for children than adults as was clear in the initial ADHD test that was pathetic.
 

Pattern-chaser

Active member
What kind of support would be helpful?

Talking with someone on regular basis would be an advantage...

I would be just a little more formal in my request. I would like to see a counsellor that I could talk to, regularly, and into the long-term. I would appreciate it if that counsellor had some understanding of autism. I would like someone to listen, and someone who would offer their own opinions. Yes, I know no-one can solve your problems for you, regardless of what those problems are. But these counsellors who offer that mysterious sort of "and how does this make you feel?" therapy are less than helpful, IMO. I don't need encouraging to talk about myself, I need a little advice on direct matters, like "where do I go from here?" A little help with compiling the options (of where I might go from here) would sometimes be really helpful, wouldn't it? Is it OK to expect that kind of help from a counsellor, I wonder? Am I asking for too much, or for the wrong kind of help? I'm not sure.
 

Margot

Administrator
I need a little advice on direct matters, like "where do I go from here?... A little help with compiling the options (of where I might go from here) would sometimes be really helpful, wouldn't it? "
Yes, a few months ago an autism academic Georgia Pavlopoulou quoted an article showing that autistic people prefer more directive approch, indeed giving a steer towards possible solutions.
 

Thunderchild

Moderator
Yes i get the feeling too that counselling comes from the "your are not normal, let's try to fix that" attitude rather than the "you see the world differently from most, here's a guide to the world that will make sense to you" angle. If you don't understand what it is like to be autistic then you can hardly offer support.
 

Margot

Administrator
Developing some resources for therapists training about autism and preferences of autistic people might be an idea.
What would such resource contain?
 

Simon_7001

New member
I would be just a little more formal in my request. I would like to see a counsellor that I could talk to, regularly, and into the long-term. I would appreciate it if that counsellor had some understanding of autism. I would like someone to listen, and someone who would offer their own opinions. Yes, I know no-one can solve your problems for you, regardless of what those problems are. But these counsellors who offer that mysterious sort of "and how does this make you feel?" therapy are less than helpful, IMO. I don't need encouraging to talk about myself, I need a little advice on direct matters, like "where do I go from here?" A little help with compiling the options (of where I might go from here) would sometimes be really helpful, wouldn't it? Is it OK to expect that kind of help from a counsellor, I wonder? Am I asking for too much, or for the wrong kind of help? I'm not sure.
I have found that the moment you mention autism they all shut down saying" we dont treat this, get lost" or simply admit to a total lack of understanding of what aspergers / autism is....
 
The idea about developing a training, a resource is good. Do you mean like training within the NHS, or like autistic people carrying these resources with them to th appointment?
I like the idea of taking this to th appointment, bu would professionals listen?
 

Simon_7001

New member
Yes i get the feeling too that counselling comes from the "your are not normal, let's try to fix that" attitude rather than the "you see the world differently from most, here's a guide to the world that will make sense to you" angle. If you don't understand what it is like to be autistic then you can hardly offer support.
I would prefer therapy to be about me coping with life as I am rather than NT people trying to make me "normal" I am happy as I am being autistic, with all its gifts & traits....
 

Thunderchild

Moderator
Mental health is vastly underfunded compared to other service. My first letter said that they were struggling to see people quickly and that i would have a wait.
 

Rechnin

Active member
So.......

I have the first stage of my assessment on the 19/11/2020, I have a load of forms to fill in and have an online interview with four people....
 

ProfessorWorm

Active member
Developing some resources for therapists training about autism and preferences of autistic people might be an idea.
What would such resource contain?
I would like to see some discussion of how to apply the social model of disability to therapy and why it is important they do so. Having a therapist who understands sensory overwhelm and to some degree institutional trauma has also been extremely helpful for me.
 

Margot

Administrator
I would like to see some discussion of how to apply the social model of disability to therapy and why it is important they do so. Having a therapist who understands sensory overwhelm and to some degree institutional trauma has also been extremely helpful for me.
Could you please expand about the social model applied to therapy?