3 ms·

> However, in the real world many people are resistant to the idea of therapy and/or medication as it feels like admitting defeat. Or perhaps they've read cherr

> However, in the real world many people are resistant to the idea of therapy and/or medication as it feels like admitting defeat. Or perhaps they've read cherry-picked horror stories of bad therapists or medication side effects on the internet. This is hugely compounded by the fact that even when people do decide to go for treatment like therapy, they discover that its painfully inaccessible. As in, if you don't have enough money to afford the 100$+ hour sessions, you feel like you completely run out of options. There are more services trying to address this cost issue but from my experience (in Canada), they leave a lot to be desired

PragmaticPulp 6y ago
Often true, but it's also true that many people don't realize how affordable therapy can be under their insurance plans. YMMV, obviously. Depression is notorious for making people assume the worst. Many depressed people will assume therapy is inaccessible or too costly without even checking. I would encourage everyone to at least take a few minutes to look it up or call their insurance. For example, I've walked several people through the process of finding a therapist, checking with their insurance, and scheduling appointments to get them started in the past few years (United States, corporate insurance). For most of them, therapy visits were billed with a $20 copay with a limit of 24 visits per year, which is more than accessible. However, even if it's not, it's important to put the costs in perspective. How much would you pay for a magic pill that improved your problems? Does $1000/year sound worth it? That's 10 x $100 therapy sessions. If professional therapy is out of reach, self-directed CBT using books or self-help resources have been shown to be effective as well. Not as fast or effective as professionally-guided therapy, but certainly a worthwhile starting point.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago

Often true, but it's also true that many people don't realize how affordable therapy can be under their insurance plans. YMMV, obviously. Depression is notorious for making people assume the worst. Many depressed people will assume therapy is inaccessible or too costly without even checking. I would encourage everyone to at least take a few minutes to look it up or call their insurance. For example, I've walked several people through the process of finding a therapist, checking with their insurance, and scheduling appointments to get them started in the past few years (United States, corporate insurance). For most of them, therapy visits were billed with a $20 copay with a limit of 24 visits per year, which is more than accessible. However, even if it's not, it's important to put the costs in perspective. How much would you pay for a magic pill that improved your problems? Does $1000/year sound worth it? That's 10 x $100 therapy sessions. If professional therapy is out of reach, self-directed CBT using books or self-help resources have been shown to be effective as well. Not as fast or effective as professionally-guided therapy, but certainly a worthwhile starting point.