Have the Mental Health Professionals Failed the Autism Community?

[WereBear]

What's your take on vitamin supplements?

They can be very important, if one is deficient.

Like, everyone is low on Vitamin C. The minimum is just what is needed to avoid scurvy. All my friends in retail swear by taking lots more when they feel sick.

D3 and its cofactor, K2, is vital for our health. This isn’t a vitamin, it’s a vital hormone. Learn more at the Vitamin D council.

Magnesium (as chelated magnesium or magnesium citrate for best absorption) is another most people are too low on, and I would say this goes double for autistics, since our brains are supporting more neural networks.

Likewise, a B complex is probably the cheapest brain insurance you can get, especially if your animal protein intake is low.

Protein, in general, is what our brains need. It has ALL the amino acids, in ALL the combinations. Trouble digesting it? Me too, until I used a course of Betaine HCL to train my stomach to produce the proper amount of stomach acid.

Now I get proper nutrition from all my food!

 

[WereBear]

BWAHAHA they will die very slowly of side effects.

Yes, they give statins to their own parents and then deal with dementia that didn’t have to happen. They lose sight and limbs from diabetic maltreatment when they could put it in remission with a low carb diet.

We all suffer. But we don’t have to.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Yes, they give statins to their own parents and then deal with dementia that didn’t have to happen. They lose sight and limbs from diabetic maltreatment when they could put it in remission with a low carb diet.

We all suffer. But we don’t have to.

From your book, I'm wondering what your cat eats
Notice it's also on Kindle unlimited.

But thanks for the reply. I stopped taking them years ago, have just started again.
Magnesium,b12 are in there.

 

[WereBear]

From your book, I'm wondering what your cat eats
Notice it's also on Kindle unlimited.

I feed canned, as good as the cats will eat and grain free dry, because some of them insist; they are all rescues, and some of them have food issues.

But they do well, according to my vet, and none of them are overweight. In fact, my cat advice helped a reader with his diabetic cat not need insulin shots any more, and he was so happy he made a website:

Teddy the diabetic cat

 

[Mary Anne]

As a retired mental health professional (LCSW), maybe I can clarify some things for those looking for help. I should say this is for those in the USA.

Nowadays, psychiatrists mostly do nothing but diagnose and prescribe medication for mental health conditions. They rarely do treatment anymore (and in fact I believe their current education does not really prepare them for providing counseling or therapy).

If you want treatment/counseling (not medications) then you need to seek out either a PhD level psychologist, or a licensed clinical social worker(LCSW) or for marital and family therapy either a LCSW or an LMFT (licensed marriage and family therapist). People with a masters level psychology degree or education degrees are not trained to do therapy even though they may present as therapists. The masters level psychologists are trained to do mostly testing. Licensed mental health counselors can do treatment but I don't generally recommend them unless they have an unusually good reputation.

In all cases, you then need to find out how much experience and training they have in working with autism and what sort of approach they take in treatment. If you want coping skills then ask about those specifically as some approaches provide more of that than other approaches. You don't want to see someone who's basic approach is psychoanalytic if you want coping skills for example. Ask the therapist specifically if they can teach you anxiety management skills, or how to cope with PTSD flashbacks, or any other specific issues you need help with. Don't be afraid to call and ask questions about their training and approach before you decide who to schedule an appointment with. Just say you are looking for a good fit. How they respond will also clue you in to what they're like.

I think based on some of the posts I've read that some of you have not been with the kind of therapists who could be most helpful. And there are good therapists and therapies out there- the trick is to find them. This is why I'm posting this as a rough guideline for how to find someone. Another route would be to contact the local Autism Society to see if they maintain a list of therapists who are knowledgeable and specialize in treatment of ASD issues.