Did therapy help? What type? How long did the sessions last?
Therapy did help me by giving me the material to start and gave me the ‘kick up the butt’ to get the ball rolling. Since therapy my mental health has been getting better over time, but I still have a long way to go. They were going to try EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, but after talking to me over a few sessions they changed it to CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) as EMDR can be very intense for some people including neurodivergent people. They wanted me to improve and not go backwards with all the work I had been doing with therapy. With me they only did around 8-10 sessions which I was told is the amount of 1 to 1 therapy sessions they give each person. They were one hour long each session, which for me wasn’t enough time.
How long was the waiting list?
I was on the waiting list for one year and 10 months. I did not receive help whilst on the waiting list. I was put on medication to help with my anxiety. They did not check up on me to see how I was coping. I had to ring to find out any updates to when I would be starting therapy, they could not tell me anything, but that I was still on the list and asked me if my therapy location was the same.
How did you feel during therapy?
I was mentally drained and my triggers were enhanced. I felt so alone and isolated. I felt more vulnerable than I normally do. Insomnia was a real struggle during therapy as I had flashbacks/nightmares.
Does being neurodivergent make therapy more difficult?
In my case, yes. My therapy was around routine. My sessions had to be the same time and day. Due to reasons out of mine and my therapy hands a couple had to be on different days, but around the same time. Sessions were not on during school holidays. During therapy keeping a routine was easier than when I finished therapy. I tried to replace my sessions with something else. It lasted a few weeks, but something happened and I haven’t managed to get back to it. Anxiety has played a big part of it. Something I struggled with was that they asked me about how I was feeling. With someone who struggles with understanding emotions I found this really hard, so I talked about how my week went to give a picture of that week’s struggles.
How have you been since therapy ended?
Well I have struggled. They put me on a course to continue the learning going, extending on what I learnt in therapy. This was never 1 to 1 support but a small group online. Sadly I was the only one on camera (apart from the person running the session) and I struggled to concentrate. People had their microphones on and you could hear things in the same room. They advised you to be the only one in that room (for confidential reasons). They do run these groups in person at different locations, but they were fully booked or too late in the day for me to attend. I try to keep a diary every day (but I keep forgetting). I am more open with people when they ask me, but I don’t really tell them unless they ask first. I try to make a to-do list every week, so I know what I need to do. I do use apps to keep a track of what tasks I have done and when. I try to tackle small tasks if I have none to little energy. Just the simple small tasks help to reduce the stress/triggers.
Tips
- Ask for help
- Practise grounding techniques
- Take your time
- Be honest to yourself
- Practise mindfulness
- Try to keep your main room tidy (I know that sounds odd, but this helped me a lot)
- Write down chores/things you need to do
- Keep to a routine e.g. hoover on a certain day
- Be open to people you trust. If you are struggling, tell someone. That can be a friend, family member or a professional or even someone on a hotline.
- Keep a diary/journal. This can be in a book or even a diary app
- Set timers/alarms if you can manage 5 mins to do tasks
- Join other mental health/wellbeing groups. This can be in person or online. Use what works for you better.
- Try a new hobby or restart an old one. This can help keep your mind off things that are troubling you
- Work out what helps you e.g. going outside, listening to music, going for walks
- Don’t rush, if you are not ready to do something don’t do it. This could undo all the hard work you have put into therapy/recovery
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