Aspergers and CBT

[Jackyjill6]

Just wondering if anyone here with Aspergers or PDA had tried CBT and whether it was helpful or not.

Aspergers but not PDA. I found it hugely helpful for controlling anxiety and reducing meltdowns.

Thank you. How many sessions did you have before you saw the benefit? I think it would be useful for my eldest DC, but I don't want to try something where he will 'fail' ( I mean that he will think he has failed)

Lots. It’s an ongoing thing I do all the time. I probably took me 12 weeks to get the hang of it, and then ongoing group work to keep it up.

I am probably quite lucky that I naturally have what is called a growth mindset, so CBT works well for me. I naturally “get” that I can change the way I think and do things to change the outcome that I get.

You can get CBT workbooks for anxiety. Not sure what age your DC is, but Starving your Anxiety Gremlin is good for 5-8 year olds.

CBT didn't help me at all, it made me even more anxious. But it depends what you're using it for - I was assigned it to try and get rid of sensory issues which I found out later is impossible.

Mindfulness made me feel anxious too.

I don't think it's entirely predictable, and like any therapy it depends on the dynamic between the person and patient.

Gosh, Mogleflop, that sounds awful. It should be about controlling negative though spirals, not changing your sensory issues! I do find my sensory issues are much, much worse when I'm anxious or stressed. So in a way the CBT has helped my sensory issues, but not because they've gone away. I just know how to cope with them better.

And I totally agree, you have to get on with and trust the person who is helping with the CBT.

Going against the grain here, it didn't help me at all - I think because I was anxious about real things that really were likely to happen.

It turns out my anxiety is miraculously cured when people allow for my autism. I've been explaining this a lot recently as I'm having dental work done through the service for adults with dental anxiety, as otherwise it's too much for me, and they tend to look at me a bit weird when I walk in calm as a cucumber