Is therapy worth it?

[ilovecats]

I really thought about giving therapy a try, but I am pretty sure that it won't help me.

First of all, I have a very "outlandish" view on the world compared to others around me and never had the chance to talk to someone who truthly understood me, until I discovered SS. Furthermore, I don't expect the therapist to understand either. IMO, they would just say what they were taught to in such situations without having any clue on how I feel and what I think. I am really discouraged of trying to go to one, thinking that they would say generic stuff like "You are loved", "You are important" or "The world would be so different without you". I know there are a lot of good therapists, but not in my country. Most of them already left because of the horrendous pay compared to what they do.

Another reason would be my financial situation. I'm not in the best situation, barely having any money to not freeze to death in the house. One single session is around 20% of the net income of my family and I really don't want to waste that much just for med prescriptions.

 

[sheepgirl]

Therapy has both save my life and keeps me here week to week. Though sometimes I have a lot of trouble in therapy knowing what to say/talk about sometimes there are times where I get a lot out of it. Even just talking to my therapist about non mh related stuff can be helpful too. Though where I live all my therapy has been free, I couldn't imagine paying for it. For a while when I wasn't getting therapy I looked into going private and just couldn't afford it without having no money left for anything else and it didn't seem worth spending every last dollar for me. However the right therapist can save your life and help you change things completely. It can be a worthy investment if you are committed to recovery and living

 

[jodes2]

It's difficult to find a good therapist. If you have a lot of negative beliefs, someone good at CBT is important. DBT if that's what it's called, I forget, can also be helpful. What's not helpful to me is therapists that basically just listen and make vague comments about what you've said. They need to have good techniques, otherwise it's a waste of money and you might as well just vent on SS. You need someone who's good at solving problems. Look carefully at reviews, don't trust 5 star reviews too easily. Compare proportions of negative or less positive reviews

 

[stermc]

If you find the right therapist and the kind of psychological intervention that works best for you, then yes.
I hate therapy, can't lie about that, but I recently found this therapist that understands the things I talk about, such as philosophy and existencial aspects of life. I took some time to accept her as my therapist because she was making me rethink my convictions on life, death, suicide… But then I just accepted the challenge. If it is making me uncomfortable in that way, it means something.
Overall, therapy works if you have the right therapist for you, the right psychological approach, and if you are willing to get deep on yourself.

 

[The Eeyorish One]

I've personally never found a therapist that's been able to help with my depression, but I have found one that was able to help with my gender dysphoria, so it's a mixed bag. Basically go into it expecting it to take time trying different therapists and methods. Since you mention it being a heavy financial burden, I don't know if I can recommend it. You might be able to find one that does sliding scale, or maybe there's some program where you live that could work. I think group therapy is usually cheaper as well. Also just so you're aware therapists usually can't prescribe medications, that's a psychiatrist's job, at least where I live. In my experience, it's usually cheaper to get meds and see a doc every 4 months or so instead of going to therapy every week. If you go the meds route, just watch out for side effects, and make sure you make it clear that you can't afford anything expensive. (For reference in the US 3 of my prescriptions without insurance are under $15, but one is like $1300, so that one is impossible without insurance. Most meds I've tried have been very cheap though.)

 

[UntilTheLast]

I've experienced a lot of what you're talking about with therapists - they love their standard labels and frameworks and checkboxes, and if you don't fit those labels, or if their standardized solutions don't fit you... then they just keep trying it anyway. I've wasted a lot of time trying (and usually failing) the get the therapist to understand that I DON'T FIT INTO THEIR BOX. It sounds like you're in the same kind of boat. But that said, I've also found a couple of really good therapists - people who are willing to really "see" me, and to really look for ways to help me that fit with who I am. None of them are in my life anymore, and I don't have any expectation of ever finding that kind of thing again, which sucks. But that's neither here nor there - the point is that I think that if you can manage to find a good therapist, it can really help. It definitely did for me. It doesn't sound like you can, with your finances, but if you ever do get the chance, I really do recommend at least trying it out and seeing if its a good fit. I wouldn't still be here if it weren't for therapy.

 

[milkandcoffee]

Therapists can be hit or miss. But half decent ones don't lean on platitudes. I've been in and out of therapy for like 12 years and have gone through a few in different places and times. I've only ever had one that I consider bad. All the others were at least okay. Willing to listen to and do some CBT or mindfulness with you, if that stuff works for you. I've had two favorites who I honestly kinda miss, in a therapy sense. They really helped me cut down to the core of whatever nonsense was upsetting me at the time and helped me learn how to cope better. I'm doing some really good trauma therapy rn too and seeing some positive changes from that. I haven't read the other comments yet cuz I wanted to offer a genuine opinion but I'm assuming I've gotten pretty lucky lol. Wow! Happy to see I was wrong

 

[Avalanche81]

It did for me but not till after a failed attempt.

 

[littlelady774]

I'm trying, so far so good

 

[Someone123]

The majority of therapists don't help, based on reports from many patients, but some do. The real long term solution for most people is a network of support- friends and family and even acquaintances who yu have positive interactions with.

 

[melancholyc418]

Id try it, just dont take advice personally if they give you off putting vibes

 

[murphyy]

I've always been skeptical about therapy. Once I experienced it firsthand, it just solidified my opinion that it's a waste of money and time. They just throw positive bullshit at you which you could easily find on the internet, and they make you go over you whole life story. It felt ridiculous and fake to be talking to a stranger. My depression got increasingly worse after each session.
Idk that's just my experience. Maybe you should try it for yourself? There's probably free therapy options online. You could see if you feel any better after a few meetings.