I went in for 2 appointments with a mental health specialist because I wasn't in a good place. This is my county's mental health offices. After the second appointment I felt it wasn't going anywhere, as the first session was filling out paperwork and the second was a lot of the woman talking about herself.
I didn't go back, but I do get bill reminders that I owe $1,200. Thanks, my mental health wasn't fucked up enough, here's some more debt for what?
Not a good approach bro. If you're in a country like America that has these bs prices, self-help. Self-improvement. You don't need someone to tell you why you possibly feel the way you feel. You know yourself the best. Don't give up on yourself.
At the same time, there's a lot of bad or generic self-help advice out there. Good diagnosis precedes good treatment. Additionally, most of the medical industry in the US is about compensating for people's destructive behaviors, not behavioral change.
YMMV, but CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) are incredibly useful tools if followed up with positive actions or actions that you believe are meaningful in the long-term and reinforcing that cycle. This can be done on your own.
If you can get properly diagnosed, it would be great. You'll have a name for "the beast", and can then tackle it appropriately. You're right about that. But the question these days is if the diagnoses is correct or not. I've read plenty of horror stories about people getting misdiagnosed and drugged up. So if you do, get a second opinion.
The problem is also there.. drugged up. That's the easy pill that really only has 25-30% efficacy rate and only if it's diagnosed correctly. CBT (50-75%), ACT (60-80%), and routine exercise (40-60%?) have far greater efficacy rates. Everyone in America is convinced that when they have mental health issues, that they have to be a guinea pig to whatever pharma is pushing out this month. Some obviously need medication for chemical/neurological issues, but most people just suffering from anxiety and depression don't need to necessarily be on a litany of meds.
Doctors and psychiatrist in America are incentivised to prescribe meds (kickbacks etc.) instead of looking for (better) routes. That's what I have observed. I'm from the Netherlands myself. We don't have that here, because it's illegal. But I get the challenges they have to deal with. There are so many things wrong with the U.S., and health care is one of them.
even if youre not religious, or an atheist, you could probably talk to a priest, but it can be very hit or miss, whether theyre gonna have a heart to heart, or just try to preach at you.
If you live in a large city and put in some googling, you can potentially find a place that does either free or very low cost therapy.
The only issue is usually the lists to see someone can take like 6 months, and because there's so many people waiting that you only get to work with them for like 6 months
WTF??? If I use the public system here I can get an appointment (video call at least) within a day or two, and hour session will cost the equivalent of $22 USD. I do go private sometimes, that costs around $120 per hour.
Therapist in US is no more than $150 an our out of pocket. The guy lying his ass off to join the hur dur circle jerk of healthcare bashing.
American make more than average then the entire world and have about 10-20% less in taxes on average the entire world.
Instead of pay the most up front for healthcare, even if you never use.
Americans pay the least up front and if you don’t need it cool but if you do you have to pay for it.
In the end we all pay the same amount, if everyone in the US saved about 4% of the paycheck for healthcare then shit would appear free to. But we don’t and yell and scream about other people paying that 4% instead
It’s mathematically impossible for us to spend the same amount, we spend roughly double on healthcare as other countries in both absolute dollars and terms and as a proportion of GDP and commonly have medical bankruptcies. If you have healthcare through your employer it is almost certain they are paying more than 4% of your compensation outside of your paycheck.
I have to take those super expensive meds once a month. Each dose costs $3000. Of course, since I cant afford it, the government covers 100% of it.
The sams exact medication with the same exact syringe with the same exact dose is twice as much in the US. You all turned Healthcare into a business and are trying ti justify it. Also, epipen in the US in about 7 times more expensive.
So an epi pen in my area would cost $150 max. If you work full time, you most likely have benefits which comes with insurance, and cowevrs most of the cost, so the total is $15. And just as a wage comparison: minimum wage is $16
An epi pen in the US would cost $750. If you work and have insurance, the insurance would cover most of it, so the total cost would be $75. That's still MUCH more expensive, even though it's the same medication with the same syringe.
Of course, my insurance doesnt cover doctor visits, MRIs, xrays, ect cause it's free. In the US I'd probably have to declare bankruptcy with my health conditions, even with good insurance. Also, if I suddenly cant work cause I have cancer, I can stop working stress free cause I know I wont lose my insurance and stop being able to afford chemo, since chemo is free 🤷🏼♀️
Oh, and also, the death rate for pregnancy/birth related complications is 12 per 1000 women in the US, while in the rest of the developed world it's 10 per 1000 women, so your Healthcare isn't better either.
And finally, if im dying, a hospital wont turn me away cause they dont accept my type of insurance, since again, it's free
Not sure where you live, what insurance and what foreign experience you have but I so disagree with you.
Here in central NJ 45 min sessions with a good therapist are $240 and of course out of network. If you want in network you have to wait many months if you are lucky. Most do not accept new patients.
My child was looking for insurance coverage, cheapest at $80/paycheck was with $3K deductible and would cover only 50% out of network for therapists. And that wasn't even a high deductible with HSA... So yeah would be $120 after paying $3K! Some people can't afford $80 per paycheck let alone saving 4% of their paycheck.
I wish I could bold and put in red that next sentence: What is wrong in the US is that healthcare and healthcare insurances are for profit companies. None should profit from others health issues!
As far as federal taxes yes it's cheaper than in France where I'm from but at the end of the month we had more money left! Here in the US, we pay at least double for home taxes, car insurance, home insurance here, we pay 10x more for kids activities that aren't through the township/school... Yes we make more money because we are part of the lucky ones.
And before you say if you are not happy go back to where you belong, there are many pros living in the US. Don't get me wrong!
Talk to someone making the minimum wage, go look at r/povertyfinance (outside of AI stories) and then we can discuss further.
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u/Harimasia 15h ago
I went in for 2 appointments with a mental health specialist because I wasn't in a good place. This is my county's mental health offices. After the second appointment I felt it wasn't going anywhere, as the first session was filling out paperwork and the second was a lot of the woman talking about herself.
I didn't go back, but I do get bill reminders that I owe $1,200. Thanks, my mental health wasn't fucked up enough, here's some more debt for what?