Discussion Therapists are the "Witches" from fairy tales

[Villager_37]

There I was just another day with endless thoughts, suddenly I thought about what my past 3 therapists said to me, and I just realized that's what witches says in the fairy tales or past times, they use pretty words to lure your into the illusions of "Getting better"

They used words like "You changed a lot since we've met!" "You're getting better!" "You can live happily!" "You can be yourself!"

Let's debunk those

"You changed a lot since we've met!" hmmmm, the only changes with me is that I grow more and more disgusts with the country and the ppl, I felt worse after I came here, that's change I guess (I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety for 7 years)

"You're getting better!"
Yeah right, aren't I supposed to be the first one to know that I'm "Getting better!" strange how I don't felt better, I wonder why?

"You can live happily!"
That's crazy man, holy shit how do I not realize that omg you opened eyes for the first time my god thankssssssssssssssss.

"You can be yourself!"
OK, I want me to CTB, do you like that answer? No? Then I guess I can't be myself lol.

I mean sure it feels good to vent to someone and get good feedbacks, but for such much? I dunno man, it feels like you are just doing your job and I'm just a single customer.

I was with my last therapist for 3 ish years, he did give me some good advices, and as normal I didn't follow any of them, I told him many times that I do not want to do anything, I can't even get out of bed in the morning (while I still have a job, I used to take breaks for a week or so frequently, bc I just can't get out of bed, sometimes 3 weeks, they're desperate for an employee so they didn't fire me, eventually I just quit, bc even when I got the paycheck I don't feel anything, no happiness, no accomplishness) but he seem's to have a blind believe about it.

Don't get me wrong I like my therapists, some time I just can't hold the smile when I see them, but now when I look back, I don't think they helped me in the slightest, I just kept yapping and they nods and give feed backs

I wonder how you guys feel about it.

 

[Linda]

It's complicated. Sometimes therapy does help people. Sometimes the wrong therapist doesn't help a person but a different thera,pist may help. And sometimes therapy is no use at all because the underlying problem has no solution, or no solution that's accessible to a therapist. If, for example, being unemployed, and consequently broke and soon-to-be-homeless is making someone depressed, a therapist isn't going to be able to do anything (except, perhaps, to take their money and make them even more broke).
The advantage of this site, compared with most therapy, is that wherever you are at present, someone on this site, and often many people, will have been there too, and can offer you real-world advice and support. There is no substitute for that kind of experience. Even the best therapists can have experienced only a small fraction of the problems that people here are struggling with.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

I agree, therapists are masters at magic. They know how to make your money go poof just like that.

 

[final_countdown12]

There are excelent therapists in the market. They arent a magician that performs miracle and instantly cure you.
You need to be patient to find a good match (the best therapists in the market unfortunately are usually the most expensives one) and commit to the threatment. Also, time and patient are needed but unfortunately people tend to quit the treatment pretty soon.

 

[Ash’Girl]

Best therapist I ever had didn't bullshit me.
He listened. And he'd say things with empathy.

Like "I really hope you get better and it stops hurting so much, but I'm not going to promise you that it will, because the truth is that it might not: but I'm here to listen, a safe space to vent, and a place to explore the things that YOU think might help make things better."

And he would help me track over time the highs, the lows, and the in between so I could see where over time the baby steps actually added up to bigger changes in how much less shitty I might be feeling.

This was a very long time ago when I was still invested in giving life a go. But I appreciated him for his honesty and for his acknowledgement. I think therapy should primarily be about being seen and heard. Any exploration into how to improve our individual life experience is just that: tailored to the individual, not just text book anecdotes. One size doesn't fit all.

 

[Disappointered]

I think in a couple hundred years therapists will be regarded as having been one of the biggest scams in human history. People will be amazed that they existed for so long.

Most therapists I saw were not only useless but abusive.
I remember a couple of decades ago cognitive behavioural therapy was touted as a new breakthrough. There were a couple of weak semi-longitudinal studies claiming to provide evidence that it worked. Is that still the party line? How's that working out now? I guess there must be fewer people needing therapy...right? That whole enterprise was a well-oiled crock of shit peddled by abusive parasites.

 

[Scythe]

Therapy is like a coping mechanism we use, some people excerise, some people meditate, and some people get addictions. Therapy is one of the healthy coping mechanisms, well, if you ignore your wallet getting skinny. It's definently overrated though, it's one possible solution, not THE solution as people try to make it to be and it's not going to be for everyone.

 

[ms_beaverhousen]

I've had free "therapy" for years. It's been virtually worthless. Maybe it's just me Idk. I think you get what you pay for so it makes me sick to see all these these commercials advertising the apps for mental health help out there. Maybe I'm wrong. Also, seeing the "Witches" just made me start thinking about ugly women with bald heads from the movie and I had to concentrate to take your post seriously :/ Again, prob just me.

 

[divinemistress36]

I'm glad my therapist doesn't use toxic positivity. She's like "Ya life sucks ass but lets talk about it anyways " she felt like she was a Witch in a past life and got burned at the stake

 

[UKscotty]

I think it unfair to blame medical professionals.

Depression is pure evil. It is hard to treat, lies to us and tells us we are normal.
Depression tells us we are not ill and that suicide is rational and normal.

It's also extremely difficult to treat.
We cannot see through its lies most the time.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I think in a couple hundred years therapists will be regarded as having been one of the biggest scams in human history. People will be amazed that they existed for so long.

Most therapists I saw were not only useless but abusive.
I remember a couple of decades ago cognitive behavioural therapy was touted as a new breakthrough. There were a couple of weak semi-longitudinal studies claiming to provide evidence that it worked. Is that still the party line? How's that working out now? I guess there must be fewer people needing therapy...right? That whole enterprise was a well-oiled crock of shit peddled by abusive parasites.

I agree so much with this. I always keep on saying at how I think that, in the future, people will view therapy the same way we view medival methods that have been used to try and deal with the black plague and with disease overall. I think that the people who therapy worked for worked either due to a placebo effect or how their problems wasn't significant enough to begin with. I personally think that the best part about therapy is that it's at least a semi venting space though it does come with some caveats, such as how it can be expensive and also how you have to walk on eggshells to be careful with your words to not mention being suicidal. This site is significantly better to vent on than venting to a therapist as it removes those caveats completely and offers much more overall

 

[tsumihoroboshi]

My first therapist was the worst. She just always told me to "think happy thoughts" and to "just smile" and tried to get me to practice it like. this is so awkward. you make me feel awkward. she said my online friends didn't count as real people or friends, dismissed me entirely.

Stopped seeing her after i think barely a year and then i got a new therapist and she was the best. always used my preferred name and pronouns, always listened to me, always offered sincere advice and words of encouragement. it was difficult to keep seeing her after we moved out of town and i had to change the places i was going to to make it easier to get my meds.

by the time we moved back in town i had a new psych, but not that same therapist. :( she wasn't working there at all anymore so i've been without a therapist for half a decade now. i've been relying on just my psychiatrists but they can only do so much. it's not really their job to be a therapist to you. i tried a counselor recently and it was terrible.

it's really about making that connection. if you think your therapist is terrible, you can absolutely find a new one (it was easy for me to do because of circumstances, but may not be for others). if that doesn't work out either, then don't waste your time and money therapist shopping. if you can't connect with them you don't have to keep seeing them.

despite minor positives i've had, i think therapy and psychiatry in general is inherently evil. sure, i need meds, thank you for them, but i wish it didn't come with a price or being forced to lie so i don't get hospitalised again for being a "danger" to myself. i won't trust these people until things like "quiet rooms/white rooms" and such are abolished forever. it's psychological torture.

there are people here who better articulated the negatives and positives with it. for me, i have to agree that it's mostly a scam.