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Everyone should go to therapy. I don't think I've ever met a person who doesn't need to talk things out, from time to time, with a semi-objective, third party.

• okr 7y ago
  When someone says, that everyone should go to therapy, my first question is: who pays the therapist? If everyone goes to one, then an insurance to cover the costs does not really make sense anymore.
  • biztos 7y ago
    Everyone should go to the dentist, and many insurance policies pay for that. Insofar as it works, therapy is "preventive care" -- it should help you to live a healthier life, thus reducing your overall cost to the insurer. This gets tricky when we consider the frequency and cost of therapy. If you go every week, and a session costs $200 (not unreasonable in much of the world) then it's probably only coverable in a single-payer, "healthcare-is-a-human-right" system, and even then only after building a pro-therapy consensus that might be difficult. Because even if everyone should go to therapy, lots of people think they shouldn't.
• scarecrowbob 7y ago
  While I agree that most folks would benefit from counseling, I question that it's super useful to seek it out unless you have a specific goal in mind for the experience.
• exit_bag 7y ago
  are there any kind of online therapy options that are actually worthwhile? my past experiences w/ irl therapists were not very good & i think it'd be a lot easier to communicate effectively online without the stress that comes from things like eye contact etc. i think 8ch used to fill that roll for me but now it's gone and there's no one else to talk to & everything's spiraling out of control.
  • bryan_w 7y ago
    My dude, do a search, there's help out there. Text only therapists all the way to video chat. It only take 5 minutes to get started, but please look into it.
• agumonkey 7y ago
  and for the rest of us there's still M-x doctor
• whatshisface 7y ago
  Can't people without medical grade issues talk to their wife/husband?
  • m_fayer 7y ago
    Trying to have the sorts of long lasting introspective unidirectional conversations needed to really work through things with your partner will either fail or screw up your relationship or both.
  • ChuckNorris89 7y ago
    You can, but I for one wouldn't want to burden others too much.
  • jressey 7y ago
    I'm not sure the qualification "medical grade" exists for therapy. You go if you feel like you need to go. You would see a psychiatrist for medicine-based solutions to your perceived or physical ailments. Another aspect is that often times sensitive subjects involving the spouse come up that you have previously been unsuccessful in discussing with them, or you are simply uncomfortable discussing with them. An easy comeback would be to say "you should be able to discuss anything with your spouse," but reality ain't that simple for everybody.
    • guerrilla 7y ago
      Is that really true? They genrrally draw lines around whether it affects one's day to day functioning or not.
      • SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
        That's when it's some form of problem. But just as you (should) go to a dentist or doctor routinely when you're not having a problem, you can do that as well with a therapist.
  • cgs 7y ago
    Not if you're having relationship issues with said wife/husband. Your spouse is biased. Sometimes you need an outside perspective. Close friends are also an option, but there are lots of folks out there who don't have somebody they can really open up to.
• ChuckNorris89 7y ago
  It's not just tech, it's most of the modern workplace. In Europe, my friends working in finance are close to going mental as well.
• 83457 7y ago
  Wouldn't that potentially present problems similar to everyone getting unnecessary medical tests done and following up on false positives causing more problems than they are worth? If your life is going well then a certain percentage of people going to a therapist could actually make things worse, not to mention that if everyone went then quality of therapists would probably go down. Just a thought.
  • mmanfrin 7y ago
    I think you are conflating therapists with psychiatrists.
  • vincent-toups 7y ago
    Most therapy does not lead to medical tests or procedures or anything like that. Especially if you're more or less ok. Its just some dedicated time to talk about how your feelings relate to stuff happening in your life and previous experiences.
• non-entity 7y ago
  I just don't see anything they can do to help. Most of my issues are rooted in mistakes I made and many have concrete origins that aren't something a therapist will fix.
  • agumonkey 7y ago
    forgiviness to you to others it may very well change very concretely how you feel about past present and future Not an easy task I'll give you that
  • bitbuilder 7y ago
    A therapist of course can't fix a mistake you made in the past. However, they will most certainly help you change the way you think about that mistake. Which can be extremely helpful in moving past those mistakes and making the best of where you find yourself now in life. I just recently started seeing a therapist, and this was a huge revelation to me. More specifically, helping me realize I was holding onto a lot of guilt over things where it made no sense to cling to that guilt. Learning to let go of that mental overhead has been extremely helpful.
  • jimcsharp 7y ago
    I think it's really more about coping skills these days, as opposed to 'getting to the root of things and erasing them' https://blogs.psychcentral.com/practical-psychoanalysis/2015/02/how-psychoanalysis-differs-from-psychotherapy/ https://blogs.psychcentral.com/practical-psychoanalysis/2015...
    • chrisnaoumidis 7y ago
      100%, focusing too much on the past can leave you stuck there. Developing coping skills and new perspectives can free you from the past. It's why our sessions all focus on brief therapy and practical psychology principles.
  • tryitnow 7y ago
    I don't think the goal is fix past things in the past - you'd need a time machine for that. Rather therapists help you not make the same mistake again. A lot of humans think "But I'll never make that mistake again!" But then they do. We're just not evolved to live in modern environments, so our brains and nervous systems lead us to do silly things. Therapists help reduce the likelihood that you keep making the same mistakes. And they provide techniques to mitigate the risks arising from new types of mistakes you might make.
• snarf21 7y ago
  Agreed, it is still largely a question of optics and prejudice. People associate therapy with psychiatry and that anyone going is "crazy". I've long argued that we should come up with a better term. I prefer stress counselor instead of therapist. It allows more natural discussion with others too. "I see a stress counselor and we just talk about how to be less stressed at work and home" is a very easy and non-clinical way to discuss the same thing as going to therapy. We also need to mandate that mental health is covered by all health insurance plans. Anything we can do to remove the stigma is a positive.
  • ellard 7y ago
    I disagree with coining a different term to make it more socially acceptable. Therapist being generic is useful for keeping mental health issues under a single blanket and preventing other people from easily figuring out what you're going there for. This is similar to how going to a doctor could range from doing your yearly check up to following up on a possibly fatal issue. The real solution is the one we've already been pushing for and have had a great amount of success over the years, which is to treat mental health issues with the same importance as physical health issues.
    • m_fayer 7y ago
      I agree and disagree. Full blown major depression or panic disorder or what have you should absolutely be treated like physical health issues. But, there are many of us who are perfectly functional and decently happy who could still use counseling. We who keep screwing up relationships, failing to follow through on projects, allowing ourselves to be doormats or stressed out cliches, the "healthy screwed up". Crappy upbringings and suboptimal mental habits do not always come with psychiatric disorders. And such people often don't live their best lives because they forego therapy on the grounds of "I'm not that bad, others have it much worse, I don't want to be self involved and drain resources. Also I don't want a diagnosis just to get therapy." But something like counseling has been provided by elders or religious authorities for millennia across various cultures. It's strange that now, that form of counseling is provided mostly by medical professionals to a big chunk of the Western middle class. But it's absolutely better than nothing.
• tpurves 7y ago
  Agreed. But therapy often aint cheap. I don’t doubt that tech workers get stressed and seekntherapy. People in other industry also suffer through anxiety and other issues. Probably many (most?) low wage job sectors are even worse for the pressures felt by workers. But tech pays well, so you have the greater privledge there to be able to afford therapy. and so a lot of tech people go to therapy. (As almost anyone could benefit from if they can afford it)
  • ilyagr 7y ago
    Medical insurance will often cover therapy, even if you are not diagnosed with a Major Disorder of Doom. Of course, the deductibles can also add up.
  • SamuelAdams 7y ago
    The running joke around my town is that the local bartender sells cheap therapy.
  • chrisnaoumidis 7y ago
    It shouldn't be that someone's income determines whether or not they can get help. We've learnt that a lot more people want help than those who get help due to two main reasons: - too expensive - perceived stigma associated with getting help This is starting to change and I hope it continues
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
• filmgirlcw 7y ago
  This. It isn’t a tech worker thing, it’s a human thing. The $400 I spend for a single session with my psychiatrist (he’s the rare MD who also does and is excellent at therapy — when he retires I’m seriously not sure what I’m going to do) is the best money I spend each month.
  • eeZah7Ux 7y ago
    Is it a 6 hours session for that insane amount of money?
    • filmgirlcw 7y ago
      Sadly no. It’s an hour. He doesn’t take insurance (most good psychiatrists don’t take insurance — I could conceivably manually submit claims and get some of it back but it’s not worth the hassle) and it costs what it costs.
    • ghaff 7y ago
      You go realize that’s a pretty run of the mill rate for senior lawyers, consultants, and other well-paid professionals?
      • eeZah7Ux 7y ago
        Maybe in the US. Certainly not in many other countries.
      • BeetleB 7y ago
        For a psychiatrist (MD), I suppose it's a typical rate. I can't speak for the commenter, but when I was younger everyone (including my psychology professor who was also a therapist) suggested prioritizing a therapist unless medication is needed (for which only a psychiatrist can prescribe). The claim was psychiatrists were trained to have a bias in favor of medication. And therapists will not charge crazy rates. You'll get plenty of good ones for half that cost. No idea if still true.
    • seattle_spring 7y ago
• AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
  No, they shouldn't. Don't seek treatment unless you need it. Anyone telling you otherwise is marketing.
  • rhcom2 7y ago
    OP suggested everyone needs it at some point or another which I 100% agree with. Also there is no magic way to know if you "need it". If a person is considering it, they should try it.
    • deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
  • mindsetalex 7y ago
    It’s often hard to know if you need you need help, it’s why we go to a doctor for a checkup - it’s equally important to focus on your mental health as your physical health.
    • AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
      I would say you shouldn't go to a doctor either unless you actually need treatment for something.
      • tomhoward 7y ago
        Yet there are all kinds of things that people do while they’re well in order to stay well - regular exercise, good diet, adequate sleep etc. And routine checks on basic indicators like blood pressure and cholesterol are part of conventional health advice, particularly as people age, in order to identify and respond to problems early, before they become much more severe and difficult to treat. Equivalent preemptive/preventative treatment for mental health is less understood/available.
• jmpman 7y ago
  Go drink some beers with your friends who don’t work with you. It’s cheaper.
  • singhrac 7y ago
    Many people feel that burdening their friends with their problems isn't easy. This is more complicated than it seems - even if you're ok venting a few times to your friend, could you do it every week for a year? Also, is your friend equipped to deal with difficult emotional questions (what if they've never been depressed?). Professional therapists, while expensive, do fill a role.
  • badrequest 7y ago
    At the height of my depression, I didn't feel like ever leaving bed, much less trying to corral a bunch of friends into somewhere they weren't going to be already. Also, my therapist is a $20 co-pay, which is way cheaper than going to the bar. This non-answer just demonstrates your lack of perspective.
    • jmpman 7y ago
      Not all of us get depressed enough that we can’t get out of bed. Socialization and camaraderie to see that other people have issues too helps keep things in perspective. Keeps me from slipping down a hole where I’d need professional help.
• ryandrake 7y ago
  Unfortunately it could be a big deal because of the stigma. There are jobs that ask whether you have ever seen a psychologist and/or have ever had a mental health diagnosis, presumably to disqualify you. For example I believe the FAA asks for this information from pilots. I would guess any job that requires security clearance would also require you to disclose this information.
  • biztos 7y ago
    Do they really ask whether you've seen a psychologist or is it a psychiatrist?
• ipython 7y ago
  The only problem with this point of view is that, effectively, you have painted a sort of target on your back. As you say, not everyone goes to therapy (even though they should). Therefore, there is still a stigma associated with those who do choose to go to therapy. That wouldn't be so bad, except there are consequences to going to therapy. Paperwork and records are generated. There are certain positions where you have to disclose any therapy that you've received (see for example Section 21 on the SF-86: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf). Then, you answer that truthfully, and your paperwork leaked. You are supposed to be open and honest with your therapist, but can you do that in good faith? Knowing that truly anything you say can come back and haunt you in the future? Even if you work through those issues and they are firmly in the past? There needs to be a way for people to truly feel secure and talk through troubling thoughts without fear of reprisal. I have personally avoided going to therapy for the fear that I would be denied opportunities if it was disclosed that I had a "mental illness". It's the same reason I refuse to obtain genetic testing or DNA sequencing for myself; if I do that and, as a result, I learn that I am potentially at risk for an illness/cancer/whatever due to my genetic makeup, undoubtedly some life or health insurance policy will use that information against me to deny coverage in the future. So I remain ignorant out of fear.
  • tobib 7y ago
    > That wouldn't be so bad, except there are consequences to going to therapy. Paperwork and records are generated. There are certain positions where you have to disclose any therapy that you've received (see for example Section 21 on the SF-86: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf) Seeking counseling for depression/anxiety does not fall under any of the questions being asked in this form.
    • vonmoltke 7y ago
      ipython may be recalling the previous S21. S21 got a major update for revision 2016. See revision 2010 for the prior version: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86-non508.pdf https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86-non508.pdf Any mental health issue is covered by that question. Discussion of the change: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2016/11/29/dni-announces-change-psychological-health-question-sf-86/ https://news.clearancejobs.com/2016/11/29/dni-announces-chan...