Anxiety & Aspergers

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I have EXTREME anxiety. I attempted CBT but it didn't work. I tried it for at least two years. After I got diagnosed with aspergers (last summer) the psychologist said, "No wonder why CBT didn't work. It won't work for someone that has aspergers". So, what is the proper protocol for treatment for anxiety for someone with aspergers. The anxiety can be general but it's really bad with social situations. I had plenty of exposures with giving a TON of presentations for school. I corresponded with one of my professors after the completion of school and he said, "your a bright guy but you could use a little polish". I tried benzos but they made me too sleepy.

What's next?

Well I searched it up and it appears to stand for Cognitive behavioral therapy. From a quick skim of the wikipedia entry, I believe they want him to be exposed to social situations to counter the anxiety.

My thoughts are exactly the same about CBT as your teacher. Well actually I think it could go either way. If they force you to practice socializing, you could be successful and get positive reactions? Or you could fail and get negative reactions and feel really bad about it later. Obviously our nature to be bad at socializing doesn't help.

If the aspie doesn't want to socialise in the first place, it's all pointless. The aspie cannot be blamed for it.

Iblis is correct. I suffer from social anxiety and it's perfectly natural reaction for an Aspie stuck i nthe middle of a challenging social situation and struggling to keep up with the ebb and flow of the conversation. For me, it's an instinctual reaction, like cats avoiding dogs. I'm not sure what sort of cognitive behavioral therapy I could undergo that would put me at ease during difficult social situations.

N

CBT can be effective for treating the anxiety experienced by some diagnosed with AS. However, awareness of the underlying issues needs to be considered by the therapist, which could not be done at all when you were unaware of being on the spectrum. If a therapist is experienced with AS and takes this fully into account, the CBT is more likely to help effectively treat the anxiety.

I desire to have a FEW relationships. I don't care about having a ton of relationships. It probably would be too hard to maintain them anyways. I think my issue is a fear of people. I have reoccurring dreams about people taking advantage of me. It probably stems from bullying (school and workplace). It's ridiculous because I'm an adult and I feel like a scared little child. I hate it. So I spend my life "getting ready for a fight" (e.g. HOA sends unwarranted violation letter in the mail, I get overcharged for something I didn't buy). I have heard from some people "You just need to get around people and develop a thick skin". This approach hasn't worked for me. I have been around MANY people. Same result.

It's typical when I have a social interaction then it doesn't measure up to what I hoped for (in my mind it was a negative experience) then I go home and get real depressed. Sometimes to the point of tears. Is this a "meltdown"? I was under the impression that a "meltdown" was mostly anger/rage.

It seems very difficult finding a psychologist that is VERY familiar with adult aspergers.

Actually I would recommend hypnosis. It is something I do with my partner and it has helped alot with my anxiety issues. I would see if you can find a therapist who does hypno-therapy. It is often recommended to folks with anxiety issues.

My other advice, and this is something that is recommended for people with Anxiety, is bio-feedback. My partner, who has ADHD, did not have much success with CBT, but biofeedback he said helped him temendously. He said he had difficulty processing emotions and handling social situations (anxiety). I am not saying its a cure for AS, rather I am saying it can help with the anxiety and emotional processing.

I think either of these two should be tried before drugs. They are BOTH recommended to treat anxiety for a reason.

As far as I know, CBT is also used with Aspies for anxiety. However, if the social anxieyt is complicated by Aspie issues like not knowing how to act in social situations, these issues should be addressed, too.