As depression rises among US adolescents and adults, more Americans are seeking help – and that help often comes at a cost of thousands of dollars a year.
In a series of interviews, the Guardian last month told the stories of seven young professionals’ experiences with depression, health insurance and therapy. Those interviews included a thirty-something who sought out therapy to help her quit her job to a twenty-something who would rather give up therapy than drinking or smoking.
For some, therapy was worth a pretty penny. For others, it seemed like an unnecessary splurge.
Despite the cost, it’s clear that – as the US mental health crisis grows – therapy is becoming not only a widely accepted part of everyday life, but also a common part of many households’ monthly budgets. About one in 10 Americans report being depressed, with many more reporting symptoms of depression, according to a San Diego State University study in October.
The series struck a chord with a number of readers, who came forward to share their own experiences and thoughts on therapy. Here are just a few of the comments:
I presume you were never in the position of having to figure out make $1000 a month cover $750 rent, the cost of getting to and from work for that period, $300, med that you were prescribed $375 a month, and then also eat, have lights, heat, water, and replace clothing once it has become so worn out that going out in public that way would likely get you arrested.
i cant afford not to.
its helped me tackle stuff & enabled me to get to grips with financials and stuff that has saved me more than the cost of therapy
Well, just my two-pence worth.
I've battled depression and suicidal thoughts since being a teenager. I tried being silent about it for years and that didn't work. My dad tried to beat it out of me and that didn't work. I tried prozac, and that didn't work. When I went to university, I tried to drink and drug it away and that didn't work. I tried running off to work in a foreign country and that didn't work. I tried to settle down to a boring office job and that didn't work. I threw myself into a really busy job with no time to think and that didn't work. I tried to buy myself nice stuff like clothes and cars and house stuff and that didn't work. I got a dog and that didn't work. I tried to have relationships with entirely unsuitable people and that didn't work.
Finally, aged 30, having had to leave three jobs, lost two partners and my home, I decided I should try talking to a professional about it. And I did. And guess what?
It worked.
I'm currently seeing a child bereavement counsellor. Along with my support group it's benefiting me greatly.
Freud himself predicted that depression was to become an epidemy, and that although psychotherapy was so far the most effective treatment available, one day some drug could be discovered that would be more effective that a long-term, expensive and paintstaking talk therapy.
What some people here seem not to take in account is that one of the most sensitive organs of the human body is THE POCKET. It must be part of the therapy to make that organ HURT, as a reminder that the effort and the commitment of the patient to the treatment is required and therefor, granted.
Besides, try to imagine yourself in the shoes of a therapist - or any mental health professional, dealing ona a daily basis, with the despair and mostly misunderstood suffering of others... they of all people deserve to be well paid.
And yes, it`s worth it.
Try walking, not talking. The best session I had w/ my therapist of a few years ago--who allowed me to pay what I felt I could afford--was the time I came to a session so enraged at getting a rental car towed while mailing copies of my book on AIDS activism that she got her coat and said, "Let's just take a walk." More, therapists ought to try asking clients to step out and see what happens. Walking has been immensely important to my mental health. We seem to pooh pooh it, but it can shift the fixed emotions just enough to release the dreaded hold depression can have.
If you have a good therapist (that you trust), the therapy will only work if you, the patient, does the work your therapist suggests. It's not the duty of the therapist to fix others' problems. A weekly hour session is not going to change your life around. Therapy is where you go to get guidance, but it takes the patient implementing the tools in their everyday life; that's where the transformation really starts to take place. I've battled with depression. I've seen a few therapists and finally found one that works well with me. We mainly use my dreams to help me understand life and to figure out what I need to do differently in life to make positive changes. I am so grateful for my therapist and so proud of myself for doing what needs to be done. I am also grateful that my therapist will never turn anyone away if they can't pay or he will work out a deal with what you can afford.
Therapy is the same as going to a trainer. You can't go to a trainer thinking that in a one hour session they are going to whip you into perfect shape, w/o doing any other exercise outside of the session and changing your eating habits. You have to implement what the trainer is telling you outside of that session and you will see the changes you want.
Physical health and mental health is a life style, a life time commitment, because the moment you stop doing what you need to do to stay physically and mentally healthy, it all starts to go away.
Best wishes to everyone who is struggling with depression. I know what it's like. If you live in Los Angeles and need a referral, I'm happy to pass on my therapist's contact information.
I am a therapist of over 25 years experience and have been a client of a number of therapists myself. I agree that many people end up wasting their money in therapy. That being said, brief therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy is very helpful and effective for mild to moderate depression and anxiety. A good therapist is one you feel comfortable with, someone you feel really "gets" you and negotiates specific therapy goals with you. Don't stay in a therapy you don't feel is helping you and don't let a therapist mind-trip you into not leaving when you know it's not helping.
I agree with you Nina. Therapy should be a path to healthy, independent life. Therapists should be working with their clients to determine actual goal, teach the client to recognise emerging mental/emotional issues and equip them with the skills to address them independently.
Sure, you may go back to a therapist during times of crisis or emotional hardship, but that should be more of a tune-up than an engine rebuild.
I wish you would interview some psychologists. My wife is one. Endless battles with insurance companies to get coverage approved, and to be paid in a timely manner. Patients are frequently seen at vastly reduced rates, and insurance companies renegotiate bills they owe to lower charges AFTER agreeing to pay. Often patients fall behind on payments, never managing to catch up. She is owed thousands she will never collect by dozens of current and former patients. The PhD education loan costs, licensing and other fees make this profession anything but lucrative.
Therapy was extremely helpful to me. I went when I was in my late fifties and was feeling empty and lost after my kids left home and went off to college. My marriage was a mess and I had had a number of cumulative losses which left me reeling and feeling like life was over. I couldn't see a future. My therapist was 75 years old and had kind of seen and heard it all. She was extremely practical and rationally analytical. I think a big myth is it's all touchy feely but it wasn't like that for me at all. She did very much validate my feelings but also empowered me. For a middle aged woman who had spent a lifetime caring for others and putting herself last this was an enormous liberation . I can't put a value on how much she helped me change my life and find real happiness. It sounds simple but it's complex and deserving of much respect. If you find a good therapist they are gold. You can read and talk to friends and family but there is something about the therapeutic relationship that is very different and healing.
I believe therapy is worth it to some, and only if the therapist is a good match for you. I only had to go through three therapists before I found one that was a good match for me. My husband actually went through 13 and only two were helpful for him (he only stopped going to the first helpful one because his mother didn't like that the therapist told her he was like this because of her). Therapists are all different in their approach and style, if one you try doesn't seem to fit, try different one.
http://www.sojo.ca/about_us.html
I was in my 20's and made $6000 a year gross. I did have very cheap rent. I spent about $50 a week on therapy. I just did it. I didn't think it was too much. I didn't think about it at all. It was like food. I got better--much better--and then all of a sudden it was too much though I was making much more money. I do not claim my case fits all, but if you need it--really need it--quite often you will find a way to pay for it.