Autism and DBT: Are skills useful in sensory overload (and which ones)?

Hey there,

I've recently come across DBT again, and at the same time I'm trying to get assessed for autism (currently "only" cptsd+adhd) and I'm in burnout.

What I noticed is, that when I am already overwhelmed and can't keep up with processing stuff, I often cope by putting more sensory overwhelm on top (e.g. scrolling watching fast/emotionally exhausting series). It feels a bit like substance abuse in a way (i'm familiar with it and beat it 8 years ago but this pattern seems the same to me).

That's why I thought maybe DBT is a good way to work with this. But I also feel like DBT can be shitty for autistic people (i've read that, but also the idea of being on my way to sensory overload and using skills that are sharp/painfull/cold/whatever seems super undoable and also feels like self-harm to my nervous system). I know there's also more "easy-going" skills (bathtub, sports, walking/dancing/music), but in extreme overwhelm/trigger situations, they usually don't bring me to a level of inner tension that is okay.

Also I know that I need less stress from the outside, so that the overwhelm just doesnt get so big, but its often not possible to avoid. And I know this is also a good question for a skilled therapist, but I'm in-between right now and finding someone who is helpful on this level is hard.

Soo I'm asking some things:

How do fellow neurodivergent&sensitive people navigate this; what cocnrete skills are helpful to you? Is DBT worth exploring or do you have other ideas what could be good to explore in my current state? I'm happy with any answers!