Hi @AcidMonster55
I’m glad to hear that your appointment went well. Must have been pretty tiring though. It can be really freeing to get a diagnosis you’ve been suspecting. It can feel like some of the missing pieces are discovered and are put back in place.
Finding the middle ground with GAD can be really difficult, especially if you are also autistic and have set rules to follow. It is common in both ASD and GAD to have black and white thinking/all or nothing thinking. It took me a while to learn how to see the grey, but I think what helped was trying to do things with half effort. It would end up being okay most of the time and so I was able to create some flexibility.
As you mentioned many of the symptoms of OCD and ASD overlap. Therefore, some of the specific therapies for OCD can also be beneficial to autistic individuals (especially with cooccurring anxiety). I’m not too sure what therapy your psychiatrist has in mind unfortunately. Try to keep in mind that not all therapies and medications will be the right fit. You might have to go through a bunch to find the appropriate one. It can get frustrating, but it is worth it.
As for managing GAD, there are as many ways to do so as there are individuals diagnosed. Beside for medication and therapy, meditation/mindfulness and exercise can be helpful. If you have a lot of physiological symptoms, deep breathing, changing body temperature (holding ice, taking a hot/cold shower), and grounding exercises can be useful. In time you’ll work out what is right for you with the help of your psychologist.
For now, just try to live as comfortably as possible. Find out what triggers the anxiety and what makes it better. Make the adjustments you need to reduce the stress as much as you can.
