Are you on the CBT program?

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I see what seems to be a lot of discussion about diagnoses, diagnosis and self diagnosis on WP.

But I haven't yet seen any discussion about Affective Education and Cognitive Behaviour Training etc.

Share your experiences if you are or have been 'on the/a program'

There isn't 'the' program. I have done some CBT yes. Once you know the principle you can apply it yourself. It is not rocket science. People are doing it on themselves without realising or calling it that.

CBT help with specific things on a individual level like anxiety, rather than ASD as a whole. I've actually turned down a program, that was offered after diagnosis because they were too vague as to what their objectives were, didn’t have and benchmarks, or show any inclination to record the success rates (which is an essential part of objective CBT programs). Having previous experience of CBT I know how to sort out the wheat from the chaff, in term of ‘programs’.

I haven't recieved any but i've done it myself and it works great. It's not a treatment or anything though it's something you actually have to do yourself, takes effort. Even if you go to a therapist for it you'll be the one doing all the work they'll just be guiding you and offering support i'd guess.

It's really simple but like a lot of simple things it's not exactly easy to do. If you know the metaphor of the path less traveled that is basically all that's happening, the negative thoughts are the path most traveled and what you're trying to do with CBT is use the path less traveled. Eventually the less traveled path will be the one that you follow naturally and I can say that this is the case and it does work, it's very easy to slip into old thought patterns though so you need to keep at it like exercising a muscle.

This means you have to take responsibility for what goes on in your head and not everyone finds this easy. Anecdotal evidence suggests it really is the most effective treatment for depression and anxiety though, the work involved is much preferable to actively being depressed.

I've never heard of affective education though, perhaps you can tell us more?

Regular visits with a Neurologist.

I haven't had any CBT and Affective Education yet.

I am working at maintaining more eye contact and keeping my mouth shut more in conversations but this is just baby steps.

I am working my way through Tony Attwood's AS Guidebook (which discusses this subject in clear detail).

I have a lot of 'work' to do but I can see that there is a logical method and proven techniques that do work.

I am keeping an open mind as to whether or not I actually choose some formal guidance; if only as an initial consultation before I begin my journey.

Tony Attwood's book might be all I need though as I prefer to learn by reading books (not on screen) rather than via auditory input which is my weakest information input mode.

I’ve had CBT (I think of it as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy rather than Training) twice. Once when I was about sixteen/seventeen and again when I was about nineteen or twenty since I had severe social agoraphobia/anxiety. Of course, I was never diagnosed with Asperger’s back then.

I absolutely hated every second of it, but it can be very effective (thanks to it, I can now stay on my own without having a huge panic attacks like I used to have). It helped with some things, but with others...not so much. It’s really helped with my thought patterns, but didn’t really help with some of my higher fears. I also find it very hard to apply on my own. I know the in’s and out’s of it, but putting it into practice when I’m panicking on my own with no one to focus me, then it’s pretty hard.

I’m about to have my third go at it with a professional... Joy. I've just never had it in regards to my Asperger's, although, technically, my anxiety is pretty much as a result of the Asperger's.

It's been suggested that I would benefit from it, but I've become a victim of NHS waiting lists and the simple truth that if you move from one catchment area to another, you have to get referred again and go back to the bottom of the list.

I was referred for CBT straight after my diagnosis. Bit of confusion as the psychiatrist who diagnosed me told me I wouldn't benefit from it, as i was, by nature, set in my ways. Psychologist disagreed and actually gave me copies of studies showing how useful it could be for people with AS. I don't think I can have had more than six sessions or something, but it was such a help. I find it very easy to get stuck in a rut emotionally, thinking the same rubbish over and over, but its much easier for me to break out of now. I also used to have panic attacks every day - its probably more like one a month now. really.

I'm glad I did it as an adult - I don't think I was capable of being open minded enough or working hard enough at it as a teenager.

Would definitely recommend.

That's what I use the FLYlady for! "No, don't think of it that way, think of it this way, and then it's easy!"

No, learned everything on my own.

I think it could certainly help with some people but I do not think it is particularly suitable for me, or at least with the current problems I face. Perhaps some of the more minor ones which I eventually got over myself it would have been useful with.

Cognitive psychology strikes me as a fundamentally flawed and limited means of doing psychology, although I admit there might not currently be a better one out there.