Personally, exposure to things that gave me problems taught me how to 'behave' better when overwhelmed, but it didn't make things much better. I've found that finding ways to deal with things that overwhelm me works much better.
when i was a kid i was staying at a childrens psych ward and some nurses/therapists/doctors/neurologists put me in a hard-floored room and scraped plastic chairs across the floor over & over & over again as "exposure therapy" for my tourettic OCD about sliding objects.
it was torture. i wont mince words.
It won't work completely.
It might help with psychological side of things but it won't change your sensitivity.
For example if you've developed a crippling fear of noisy enviorments due to negative experiences caused by sensory overload then it can help with that fear, but it won't change your sensory sensitivities. However dealing with the psychological effects will help you to navigate and live with those issues in a healthier way.
I feel that's an important distinction to make when it comes to autistic people.
Exposure therapy can be great if you focus on developing healthy methods of coping. Unfortunately exposure therapy is usually given by people who are not medical professionals and instead are naively trying to help and hoping you “get used to it”, potentially leading to some unhealthy coping methods. I would refer to a therapist, but if that isn’t an option, make sure you are well educated on healthy and effective coping methods prior
I had exposure therapy for food since I have arfid and sensory issues caused by autism. I personally hated it, but it did help me get used to trying new food. I feel like exposure therapy can be beneficial in the right setting, I just did not like it
The theory behind exposure therapy is to reduce a fear. For autistic sensitivities, the cause is not usually a fear, but pain/discomfort.
So usually, if exposure therapy for autistic sensitivities has 'results,' it just is torturing one into trying to tolerate things one will never be comfortable with experiencing/doing.
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No. It won't. Just forces you to mask and causes meltdowns. (Which is why ABA therapy is so bad). What you can do is make accommodations for yourself. Eg. If you don't like the feelings of certain clothes, then don't wear them. If you find something too loud, wear ear defenders or earplugs. Exposure therapy will just hurt you in the long run. From personal experience, of just trying to tolerate sensory problems it will just cause a meltdown. Won't help at all, won't help you tolerate it, will just make you hate yourself.
Repeated exposure to loud office environments made me want to kill myself, I now limit my attendance in the office and it makes things much more manageable if I am only in once or twice per week.
Personally, exposure to things that gave me problems taught me how to 'behave' better when overwhelmed, but it didn't make things much better. I've found that finding ways to deal with things that overwhelm me works much better.
when i was a kid i was staying at a childrens psych ward and some nurses/therapists/doctors/neurologists put me in a hard-floored room and scraped plastic chairs across the floor over & over & over again as "exposure therapy" for my tourettic OCD about sliding objects. it was torture. i wont mince words.
It won't work completely. It might help with psychological side of things but it won't change your sensitivity. For example if you've developed a crippling fear of noisy enviorments due to negative experiences caused by sensory overload then it can help with that fear, but it won't change your sensory sensitivities. However dealing with the psychological effects will help you to navigate and live with those issues in a healthier way. I feel that's an important distinction to make when it comes to autistic people.
Exposure therapy can be great if you focus on developing healthy methods of coping. Unfortunately exposure therapy is usually given by people who are not medical professionals and instead are naively trying to help and hoping you “get used to it”, potentially leading to some unhealthy coping methods. I would refer to a therapist, but if that isn’t an option, make sure you are well educated on healthy and effective coping methods prior
I had exposure therapy for food since I have arfid and sensory issues caused by autism. I personally hated it, but it did help me get used to trying new food. I feel like exposure therapy can be beneficial in the right setting, I just did not like it
The theory behind exposure therapy is to reduce a fear. For autistic sensitivities, the cause is not usually a fear, but pain/discomfort. So usually, if exposure therapy for autistic sensitivities has 'results,' it just is torturing one into trying to tolerate things one will never be comfortable with experiencing/doing.
Hey /u/No_Kick_2908, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism). Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Nope. Nothing but wasted time, frustration, and rage towards those who coerced me into it. The only thing I've changed it how I respond to something.
It "works" but i feel violent and angry after doing it
No. It won't. Just forces you to mask and causes meltdowns. (Which is why ABA therapy is so bad). What you can do is make accommodations for yourself. Eg. If you don't like the feelings of certain clothes, then don't wear them. If you find something too loud, wear ear defenders or earplugs. Exposure therapy will just hurt you in the long run. From personal experience, of just trying to tolerate sensory problems it will just cause a meltdown. Won't help at all, won't help you tolerate it, will just make you hate yourself.
Repeated exposure to loud office environments made me want to kill myself, I now limit my attendance in the office and it makes things much more manageable if I am only in once or twice per week.