this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
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Is therapy worthwhile? (self.asklemmy)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by flyoverthis to c/asklemmy
 

Hello,

Lately I have been overwhelmed with my schedule, finances and social life. I am always trying to improve my mental health. With all of this stress I am considering therapy, mainly for someone to talk, to process all my thoughts, and maybe help me develop ideas or come up with strategies to cope better. I have ADHD, Autism, and some other things if that helps anyone relate.

I have three main questions:

Has therapy helped you enough to be worth the time?

Is it very difficult to find a therapist you mesh with?

How do I find a therapist? From a doctor's referral? Online service? Through insurance? (I live in the United States.)

Any experience or advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: I just wanted to thank everyone for your help and support! I hope everyone is doing well and has seen positive changes. And I hope all these replies help other people besides myself. I'm feeling more positive and hopeful toward finding the right therapist. Your kindness is appreciated!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Very much yes, on the “does it help” question, but you get results in direct proportion to what you are willing to put in. The great thing is that a therapist is someone you can be completely honest with, but it takes time and effort (and courage) to show up like that.

I wanted to point out that some health plans seem to be offering CBT (computer-based therapy) options since Covid, and these are often complementary to other psychology coverage. (I live in Canada, so ymmv.). They may be a good way to “try out” therapy to see if you can gain any insight, but remember they are not much like talking to a live therapist.

My experience is that you will know when you need to go. It may be a while after that when you actually do go, but it takes what it takes. Pain is a pretty persistent motivator.

Even if you are not in crisis, your awareness of your situation and your need for help in dealing with it are really positive and a great starting point. Follow your instinct and try to find someone you feel safe with. I would say that one or two sessions with someone are usually enough to tell if you can work effectively with that person, and it’s fine to decide they are not working and you need to keep looking. There are good and less good therapists, just like in every other career and walk of life.

Good luck to you! I hope you find what you are looking for.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I wanted to point out that some health plans seem to be offering CBT (computer-based therapy)

Not to be confused with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

[–] flyoverthis 3 points 1 year ago

I feel I am an open book, and happy to spill everything to someone I am relatively comfortable with. I am a huge over thinker and almost feel like I will have too much to share.

I will look into CBT with my insurance and see if it's available. It might be worth checking out at least.

Thanks for the encouragement! I am really good at evaluating myself and making changes, but I feel I am reaching a point where I need an outside opinion on what to do next.

Also, thanks for being specific about how many sessions it might take. That helps me wrap my mind around things.