Hello. I need advice.

[Cas221]

Hi. I'm going to see a psychiatrist soon (for severe depression - I've had it for three years now and I want to feel better) but I need some advice.

I saw a psychologist a year or so ago but had to stop going because it was anxiety inducing and I found it hard to speak. I have autism which means when I'm nervous and need to speak I laugh instead of talking. I guess you could say I'm partly non-verbal.

As you can probably tell, this is a problem because it's important for me to be able to communicate with the other person. I don't know if the psychiatrist will have much patience for my laughing. The psychologist I saw last year kept thinking that I found something funny which was frustrating because I was actually trying really hard to speak but could only laugh.

So I need some advice. Is there any way for a partly non-verbal person to communicate to a medical professional? Has anyone else had this problem and can share advice with me please? Thankyou. If I'm not making any sense please let me know

[Nellym]

Hi Cas221,

I don't have autism but I do struggle with talking to my psychologist. It took me about 4 session before I told him why I had really been sent to him.

I to have depression and also anxiety and PTSD. I found a good psych but found it very hard to open up to him and tell him what was really happening and what I was really thinking. It was making the sessions worthless, I came out of them feeling useless and it set me back a long way.

I asked for advice too and in the end the best way for me was to WRITE IT DOWN (yes shouty capitals!!!). I wrote down everything. What I was feeling, what traumas I went through, what I was doing to myself, I mean I wrote down things I had never told anyone ever before.

It tool me a good few days to get it all down. I then emailed it to him because I couldn't even give it to him in person. It was the best thing that I did. He finally understood exactly where I was coming from and he changed his approach in how he spoke to me and what things we are now working on.

In no way was it a miracle solution, there is still a lot of stuff I have to deal with and it will take a long time. And even though I am starting to talk to him more, I still email him through what I am thinking/feeling before almost every session.

So maybe you could try this approach, and what you have written here, you could include that too in the letter.

Hope this helps you.

Nell

[Quercus]

Hi Cas221,

Welcome to the forums 😊.

I see a psychiatrist to manage depression too and there were a few things I thought you might find helpful.

Before your visit you could email or write a letter (love Nell's ideas) and explain what happens when you are nervous and that you're worried about this and not sure how to manage it during therapy.

Psychiatrists see all sorts of people. I'm of the opinion that not much really shocks them. You laugh when you're nervous... I swear like a sailor. Neither would phase my psychiatrist. They are professionals. So just be honest and talk as best as you can and let them figure out how to help you.

In psychotherapy I face the wall with the psychiatrist behind me at the back of the room. Not having eye contact is remarkably freeing. Have you tried this with your psychologist currently to see if it helps?

I'm not sure if this helps at all but I do wish you all the best with your psychiatrist. I would really love to hear how you go.

Take care.

Nat

[Cas221]

Thanks Nell and Nat 🙂

So it wouldn't be weird to bring in a handwritten letter explaining my situation do you think? Because that would definitely make things easier. If they know I struggle speaking hopefully they'll understand where I'm coming from.

And Nell, I definitely understand, I don't know if you experienced this exactly but whenever my psychologist asked me what I wanted to talk about I would usually say "nothing's wrong" and we literally got nowhere for a very long time. But emailing all the details sounds like a very good idea. 🙂

Nat, I could definitely try that. Eye contact is difficult for me so it could be useful.

[Guest_3712]

Hi Cass,

It's not weird to take in a letter to explain how you feel. I have been seeing my psych for years and I still send/ email or write him letters to help explain how I feel.

I just feel I write better than I speak sometimes, so it helps break the ice and then I can elaborate on what Ive written - Psych says it helps him to understand me better and how he can work his therapy to assist in the best way

Good luck I'm sure this will help you enormously

Stressless

[Nellym]

Hi Cass,

It is not weird at all to take a letter in to the psych. I think they are used to weird!!!

Cass, my psychologist will still ask me how I am feeling. My normal response used to be "I'm fine" or "I'm ok". I still say it sometimes and lucky he has my emails. But it does get better. Last time I went in he asked me and I said I am s**thouse!! He told me he liked that response better than "I'm fine"!!!

I hope you can write that letter and either email them or give it to them in person. Please let us know how you go.

Nell