Occupational therapy

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Has anyone found OT helpful?
I had first appointment today and it just created more anxiety.
I don't think the lady knows what she's doing. She would not let me sit in the chair I wanted but made me sit with my back to the door. Not good for someone with PTSD! Then she told me to relax! This just created more anxiety because I'm in defense mode since my back is to the door, and relaxing just heightens my need to be on guard more.

Her idea to help me is to teach me to relax. She suggested I try after a shower to walk around the house with just a bath robe on. I had told her I don't like damp skin feeling. So walking around wet would help?

She did no testing, and asked me what calms me down. Gee if I knew I wouldn't be there for anxiety due to sensory processing issues. I am so distressed from this visit, I cried for hours.

OT has mixed results. In some cases, it helps with working with the issues. It seems like your OT just might not have experience with someone with PTSD and/or someone who is on the spectrum or that it is a strategy of therapy to work on issues that are really tough for you.

Sometimes people are better at OT than others so I'd give it a couple more and if it doesn't work, you are always free to try somewhere else. Besides social skills groups and/or coaching might be more effective as are some psychotherapists who do cognitive behavior therapy. That can be tough too though.

Does this OT specialize in sensory issues, PTSD/mental health issues, or both (or neither)? I saw an OT for sensory issues and did find it mostly helpful, but I saw an OT who specialized and had specific training and certification in assessing and treating sensory processing disorder and worked with a lot of people (mostly kids, but some adults) with ASD.

When anxiety is coming from sensory issues, then the best way to deal with it is to deal with the sensory issues. Other things can be helpful (like overall stress management and other types of coping strategies specifically for managing emotions -- which are especially important for reducing anxiety overall if you also have anxiety from other things like PTSD in addition to the anxiety from sensory issues) but if you ignore the sensory component then it will continue to cause problems.....your OT should know this if you are seeing her for help with sensory-issue-related anxiety.

I suggest that you ask the OT to explain her suggestions -- the reasons/point of them. I would also ask her if she has any experience/knowledge about sensory processing problems and/or PTSD. If she doesn't, maybe she'd be willing to learn enough to help you or maybe you need to find someone with more knowledge/experience/understanding.

I also suggest you explain to her (if you haven't already) that you can't relax if you can't see the door and that this is part of your PTSD -- and maybe ask why she won't let you sit facing the door. Maybe she just doesn't understand that it's important or maybe she thinks you can be trained out of needing to see the door (if the latter, she should be explaining this to you and making you a part of the process -- she shouldn't just expect you to do whatever she wants for no reason).