work and cognitive behaviour therapy

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Our work agency has a contract with a counselling service with fully qualified psychologists.

I went to see one this morning and had discussed when I made the appointment that I wanted some Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) to cope with work and AS.

Anyway, the psychologist was great. She had a little background on AS and we talked about my problem with interrupting people, but not if they have an office with a door (as I have learnt to knock first, even if it is open). We also talked about ways to decode other people's behaviour and actions so I can understand what they mean.

I'm going to see her monthly for about six months to see how CBT can help.

She was very sympathetic and said growing up must have been difficult. I said yeah, and this was before anybody really knew about AS.

Has anybody else found CBT useful?

I've been seeing a psychologist about depression and debilitating procrastination - I didn't know I had aspergers, well I kind of did, but I didn't think it was important.

One of the best things we've worked out together - is I don't have to be "fixed", I just learn strategies for dealing with the things that stress me out and hold me back.

I'm not sure which stuff I've learned is specifically CBT.

One of the best things I learned was I can't run every single aspect of my life at 100%, so I can accept cycling through things, in this cycle, these things will get more time and attention than these other things for a while.

Another thing I learned to help cope with anxiety - I could use some more practice, but roughly it focuses my own analytical skills towards thinking about how much stress is appropriate for the given situation - does it really deserve life and death levels of angst? Is this kind of stress out actually helpful right now? What is a realistic probability of my worst case events occuring, what if they do? Is it really so bad? Now move along...

And to quit (or try to quit) judging myself and my thinking in relation to what others think of my thinking and feeling, ie thinking about my thinking about my thinking (recursively, ad infinitum) - over working it until I'm paralyzed.

In scuba diving - we learned to stop (panicking) and think about how to get out of trouble, then try to get out of trouble. Thinking about how stupid I am to be panicking about being in trouble is not helpful or part of the strategy for getting out of trouble. Breathe slowly and deeply and evenly and continously - which overlaps nicely with my psych's relaxation techniques.

I'm thinking about seeking therapy again,after a15 year break, but am nervious about finding someone who understands and is willing to work with the AS attributes....Ive heard they make you do desenseitation excercises.,involving going into public places and driving on free-way....no thanks.....I did have a therapist who used rational-emotive therapy with me and I found it much more effective then therapies that focus and what a lousy childhood you had...(ok...now I feel like a total victem,and this is going to help me ,how?).....Its been to long ago to rember the actual practice or priciples of RET...but it seemed to cut through alot of my "black and white thinking" and over rationalizing without devalueing my ability to reason(a trait more sain people could use,,,IMO...)I would be interest in heaaring how the CBT is working out for you, I know I shouldnt judge something without researching it....guess I'm letting my phobias block my reasoning...oops