In a perfect world, no one would have to experience traumatic situations. However, they’re more common than we’d like to admit. Traumatic experiences can include everything from child or domestic abuse, to emotional abuse, witnessing a tragic event, or anything that essentially is too much, too fast, or too soon for our nervous system to
Raising a child on the autism spectrum can be a wonderful, educational, and incredible journey for a parent. But, there’s no denying it also comes with challenges. No doubt, parenting in general, is difficult. When you’re raising a child with autism, there are even more potential obstacles to overcome. Some potential challenges may include managing
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is typically used in response to the traumatic experiences of children and adolescents. Trauma-Focused CBT is a therapy approach that is sensitive to the needs of younger patients who might have gone through something they can’t fully process on their own. While Trauma-Focused CBT was originally used to help children
It’s often hard enough to understand the differences between an anxiety attack and a panic attack. But when you or someone you care for has autism, understanding the differences between an autism meltdown and a panic attack is a whole different ballgame. There’s no question that autism can often cause distress and dysregulation. Sometimes, it
Most people have a basic understanding of some of the symptoms of trauma. Even if their only exposure is on the silver screen, things like flashbacks, vivid memories, and fear are commonly portrayed as long-term effects of traumatic experiences. While some of those depictions are more accurate than others, most people don’t dig deep enough
When someone does not make eye contact with you, you’ll likely make some unhelpful and harmful assumptions. For starters, you might think they’re not interested in what you have to say or, at the very least, distracted. On another level, limiting eye contact might signal a lack of empathy to you. In fact, many neurotypical
Most people have a basic understanding of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). But, you might not recognize the signs or symptoms enough to determine if you or someone you care about actually has the disorder. Unfortunately, that lack of information or understanding could be what’s keeping you from getting the official diagnosis and help you need.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can often co-occur with the Autism Spectrum Condition. In fact, 17.4-37 % of autistic individuals also can have OCD at the same time (vanSteensal, et., al 2011; Zabowski & Storch, 2018). For the purpose of this blog post, I will refer to autism in identity first language. It’s important to remember to
While historically OCD was considered a form of an anxiety disorder, because the intrusive thoughts trigger an anxious response, most recently in 2013 OCD has been classified as its own disorder by the American Psychological Association. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. But there are several different types
OCD can impact nearly every area of your life. Many people focus on how it affects your career or education. But, on a daily basis, you’ll have to deal with how it affects your relationships. From friends and family to romantic partners, OCD can play a major role in your thoughts and behaviors when it comes