Issues with therapy and having autism

[Eternal Eyes]

I decided I had the money to pursue a good therapist, I honestly was willing to pay a lot for one if they actually understood and listened to me. I thought though, rather than waste time going through different ones, I'd find a specialist one. I could get one online, but prefer face to face, and I really need more social interaction.

The therapists I found locally were either online only or had ticked every specialization on the website. I understand this is generalizing, but an example was there were male therapists who had ticked every specialization, and one of the specializations included women's issues. I understand that "women's issues" is a broad term and some men are educated on gynecology and conditions like endometriosis along with other menstrual issues, but I doubt this person is if he's just a general therapist and not a qualified doctor. In short, every therapist seemingly ticks every specialization.

If you ever go online and type about how autism makes you feel suicidal, you get suggested therapy, but it seems most therapists don't understand autism! Even the national health service in the UK suggest getting therapy for it, but in most cases, they don't/won't provide it! They tried to send me to a charity named Mind, and they rejected me due to having "impulsive suicidal behaviors" and "black and white thinking" due to autism. They said I'd be too difficult to work with.

Whenever I have discussed my life with nurses and doctors in the past year, I get asked "if you're lonely, have you tried making friends", yes I have! But because I'm autistic I find it borderline impossible and then within the same chat, they'll say "do you have anyone you can talk to?".

It's not just me either, I have an autistic friend too. After years of avoiding therapists she decided she'd have one last try, she had about a one hour phone call, told her life story, all her traumas, and the therapist said basically she was "too much work for a general therapist"....and the therapist said she specialized in autism on her profile!

The thing is, autistic people have a huge suicide rate. Anyway, sorry for my moaning/rant. I just needed to get this off my chest.

 

[Unspoken7612]

I am also autistic and British.

You have the legal right to be treated by the NHS just the same as anyone else. Say "under the Equality Act, you are required to make your services accessible to disabled people". I have never had a Community Mental Health Team, Talking Therapies, Crisis Team, or Improving Access to Psychological Therapies say "we cannot treat you because you are autistic".

I was eventually lucky enough to have therapy with the Maudsley National Adult Autism service, but I did not find this especially helpful, and honestly any CMHT could have delivered it. There is nothing special about specialist autism therapy, as far as I can tell - perhaps it would be more useful for someone who was only recently diagnosed.

Refer yourself to Talking Therapies again and be insistent on your right to treatment.

That being said, completely understand the frustration, it is 100% warranted. People just don't "get it".

 

[Gangrel]

That's really surprising to me. I've never had issues getting mental health support; when I faced challenges, I simply changed the professional. I can understand how frustrating it must feel to be turned away, especially when a therapist doesn't want to work with you. I feel fortunate to have a therapist I really connect with. Maybe it's because I'm Brazilian, where people are typically warm and welcoming.

I've heard that healthcare professionals in Europe and America can sometimes come off as cold. I know someone in the U.S. who still prefers to come here for medical care because she feels doctors there "don't really listen."

 

[Lookingtoflyfree]

I have had therapy on and off in my life, but once I read how CBT isn't a useful framework for most people with autism it made me rethink what the role of therapy is. I have a trauma therapist who is good, but isn't always neurodivergent affirming and when I move I will have to start the search again. I almost want to find an occupational therapist to help though - I think a lot of the talking things through isn't as helpful as finding people who can actually HELP me with autism not just talk about it

 

[Davey40210]

I think I also have autism. Not fully diagnosed but a psychologist has a suspicion based on a preliminary test.

My problem with therapy (I had it the last 2 years) is that they constantly ask how I feel. And I think because I have autism and possibly alexithymia combined with severe childhood trauma, I never know what to do with that.

It's really hard if you have autism in this society. Suicide probabilities for people who have this are through the roof.

I talked to people with autism a bit through this site, and that was nice.

Don't know if that helps at all with your struggles OP but thought I would share.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

Anyway, sorry for my moaning/rant. I just needed to get this off my chest.

Nothing to be sorry about, it´s good to get things off your chest sometimes.

 

[Eternal Eyes]

I am also autistic and British.

You have the legal right to be treated by the NHS just the same as anyone else. Say "under the Equality Act, you are required to make your services accessible to disabled people". I have never had a Community Mental Health Team, Talking Therapies, Crisis Team, or Improving Access to Psychological Therapies say "we cannot treat you because you are autistic".

I was eventually lucky enough to have therapy with the Maudsley National Adult Autism service, but I did not find this especially helpful, and honestly any CMHT could have delivered it. There is nothing special about specialist autism therapy, as far as I can tell - perhaps it would be more useful for someone who was only recently diagnosed.

Refer yourself to Talking Therapies again and be insistent on your right to treatment.

That being said, completely understand the frustration, it is 100% warranted. People just don't "get it".

It was a few weeks ago now, but I did ring the mental health team again, and they got back to me, and I did get an appointment which is next week. It seems I'll get some kind of help, but still no idea what. The MIND stuff was weird though.

 

[swankysoup]

Therapy seems to be the label that people use to categorize anyone different or inconvenient. Doesn't matter who you are or what happened to you, just go to therapy bro.