Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[Domino]

Hi everyone

Just looking for your opinions and experience with therepy.  I have a relative who has aspergers, Depression and anxiety.  They have got on the right medication now and their depression and anxiety have improved.  They have been going toa therapist for 2 years but their motivation hasn’t improved and they still don’t want to go out.   Is this usual?  They definitely not wanting to go anywhere but shouldn’t the therepist have achieved something by now to help get them out?  

Please let me know if you think I am asking too much?

thanks

Domino

[amber22]

Hey there @Domino 

I think it can be very dependent on the individual and their recover journey, so I think for some it might take longer to work through certain barriers than others. 

Have you discussed with your family member about how they think the therapy is going for them personally? Do they feel any progress at all? 

Sitting with you,

Amber22

[defaultusername]

Hi @Domino,

Welcome to the forum!

That's great that your relative has finally gotten on the right medication that is helping with their anxiety and depression. It's also wonderful they have been seeing their therapist for this long.

I agree with @amber22, everyone is different, especially when considering their diagnosis and that recovery is not a linear process. So definitely have a talk with your relative about what they think about therapy and if they feel there is any progress etc.

And again, the fact they have been going to therapy for this long is a positive in itself.

Wishing you all the best,

defaultusername

[Miss-wish]

Hi @Domino and welcome to SANE,

Is it because your family member doesn't want to or can't bring themselves to go out? Not all therapists are the same, it took me years to find the right psychologist for my daughter, she has now been diagnosed with agoraphobia. Is your family member able to tell you how they feel? a lot of people on the spectrum are unable to understand feeling/ their bodies, and a lot of therapists don't understand masking and that a lot of ASD people will just agree to fit in/ stop a conversation and sometimes progress can be extremely slow, but even a small amount of progress is a good thing. 

Do they socialise online? as it is easier for ASD people to connect with like minded people that way.

my 24yo now has a large online friend base, most of which are ASD from all around the world  😊 it took a long time but she is happy, and she is able to do short trips to the shop now  😊

[Domino]

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. They do have a lot of online friends. I never thought of it before but it could be agoraphobia. Do you think it’ll to much to expect that they’ll ever be able to work?

[Jynx]

Hey Domino! Quick tip - if you want other members to be notified that you've responded, use the @ symbol and choose their name from the dropdown (or type it if it's not in the list) so it shows up in blue, like this: 

@Domino 

I will tag @Miss-wish @defaultusername @amber22 for you so they know you've replied. 

As for your question, it can be very hard to say - but even if it is agoraphobia, doesn't mean they wouldn't be able to find work. Remote work is now a lot more viable, and there's always types of work that don't require leaving the house, like something in IT or things like copywrighting, editing, etc. 

Also, everyone heals at their own rate - for some of us it can take many years of therapy before we start to see a difference. It could also depend on whether their current support is the right support for them; we don't always click with our therapist, and sometimes it can help to find someone new to get a different perspective. Also, sometimes we can have a therapist who is really good for us at the time, but then we might hit a wall and find that that person has done all they can for us. Perhaps you could talk to them about how they feel about their current therapist, and whether they feel that their support needs are being met. 

[Miss-wish]

@Domino anything is possible 😊 have they thought about what they want to do? a lot of jobs are being made remotely available now days, as well as education, but some may still need face to face training/ on job placement. We use mostly online services, but here are a few jobs I know of that can be remotely done- accounting, therapy ( we have online speech, OT, psychology, physiotherapy) doctors, social workers, design, teacher and that is just off the top of my head.  Have a talk to them and see what they could possibly want to do 😊 they may know straight away or they may need some time to work it out and research. If they are anything like my kids, they will want to know the finer points before they commit to anything.     

Agoraphobia is horrible, my daughter was diagnosed with pathological demand avoidance at the same time and sometimes it can be hard to tell which one I'm dealing with at that time lol but she's my little shit and i love her. 

Always here if you would like to talk 😊 just put the @ before typing my name.