When people talk about "therapy" here, they most likely are thinking of bog-standard talk therapy, where you just go in and kinda, well, talk to someone about your life, problems, etc.

For some people, it's enough to just get things off their chest, talk about things out loud with someone and helps them deal with their issues. I personally see such a therapist monthly and find it beneficial to my mental health.

For others, especially those with more intense troubles and traumas, it may not be, and would probably be served better by someone more specialized with said traumas.

Like any medical profession, the quality of individual therapists and mental health experts can vary widely, from chuds to libs to comrades and everything in-between. there's a solid chance you may not get the perfect fit on try 1, I didn't.

I just feel like some people are dipping their toes into Scientology-ish "all therapy is bad, never seek professional help for your problems" stuff, which I think is disastrous advice.

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[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

mostly just kumbaya bullshit with little rigour

I already said drugs can be helpful. If you want to take a specific case of someone trying all sorts of therapy and none of it working to broad-brush therapy as "kumbaya bullshit", I can just as easily tell you about my cousin who rejected trying therapy for undiagnosed problems, self-medicated through at least a half-dozen substances that his college buddies had access to, but eventually simplified his self-treatment by drinking himself to death.

unless you’re lucky enough to find someone who truly knows what they’re doing.

Unless of course the amateur (and presumably "rigorous") self-prescribing pharmacist is lucky enough to find a drug that works and fixes everything without any further assistance required.

[–] gueybana@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I don’t think drugs are necessarily the answer but therapy is in most cases so prohibitively expensive it’s almost certainly never the answer for the majority of people. $50-100 per week on therapy, if we’re being extremely generous, could fund multiple drug addictions.

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

The way things are set up, yes, it's prohibitively expensive and standards (and methods of treatment) are sloppy and all over the place.

I don't think multiple drug addictions would really help that person either, at least not as much as the kind of educated and experienced person (be they a psychiatrist, psychologist, a very kind and understanding dealer, a shaman, or whatever) that would narrow down courses of treatment. In the case of the cousin I mentioned, just bouncing from one "just do (drug) bro don't be a (slur) bro" after another was almost like fad dieting, except more expensive.

I don't have easy answers when it comes to something being affordable and in easy reach with a keen diagnosis for someone in need that can't afford to try a lot of things.

[–] SuperNovaCouchGuy2@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If you want to take a specific case of someone trying all sorts of therapy and none of it working to broad-brush therapy as "kumbaya bullshit"

However, OP already stated that:

"all therapy is bad, never seek professional help for your problems" stuff, which I think is disastrous advice."

So what I think they mean is that from the perspective of the long suffering person trying out different therapists without success (not from OP's perspective), therapy seems like "kumbaya bullshit" because it hasn't solved their problems. Therefore, it might be unfair to say that such individuals generally tend towards pseudo scientific attitudes out of a place of arrogance (like killionaire god emperor m*sk).

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The OP didn't call therapy "kumbaya bullshit" so I didn't let that broad-brushing stand unanswered, especially because the most common implication of that is "(specific trendy drug) will solve your problems because it solved mine" like there's some silver bullet waiting to be found.

from the perspective of the long suffering person trying out different therapists without success

I was speaking from the perspective of someone that had to live with (for a time) someone who didn't even start therapy at all (except bragging about lying during initial counseling before dropping out of college), going the all-American route of "nothing is wrong if no diagnosis is made," and instead self-medicated while gradually wasting away, starting to steal from me to keep the self-medication going to the point of me having to move out for my own sake.

If you want to be generous in one interpretation, I'll take the other.

[–] SuperNovaCouchGuy2@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I didn't let that broad-brushing stand unanswered, especially because the most common implication of that is "(specific trendy drug) will solve your problems because it solved mine"

Based on what I've seen irl and online, I'd say that such sentiments in this case moreso may come from a place of despair and suffering, not so much arrogance nor shilling of snake oil, especially if the person has tried therapy before in good faith. Not saying that shitheads and "Just X bro"-scientist roganites don't exist though, because you absolutely do describe a widespread and life-threatening tendency especially among men, but it may not apply to this specific case that OP mentioned earlier.

I was speaking from the perspective of someone that had to live with (for a time) someone who didn't even start therapy at all (except bragging about lying during initial counseling before dropping out of college), going the all-American route of "nothing is wrong if no diagnosis is made," and instead self-medicated while gradually wasting away, starting to steal from me to keep the self-medication going to the point of me having to move out for my own sake.

That is beyond horrifying. My condolences. deeper-sadness

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Thank you, I do appreciate that.

The experience, and the eventual loss (he died alone and wasn't found for while afterward), definitely weighs on me and subjectively gives me strong feelings against self-prescribing and self-medicating tendencies among some people that refuse to accept support even when it's available.

[–] SuperNovaCouchGuy2@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

he died alone and wasn't found for while afterward

:doomjak: no words beyond "NO"

definitely weighs on me and subjectively gives me strong feelings against self-prescribing and self-medicating tendencies among some people

thats very understandable and such tendencies are undoubtedly harmful, may you find peace on the farm with the family

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

thats very understandable and such tendencies are undoubtedly harmful, may you find peace on the farm with the family

Thank you. I am well and happy here. It was just a bit haunting to get that notification call from the people that found him and saw me on his contact list. He made no calls, never reached out.

[–] gueybana@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’m really sorry you went through that, and my intention wasn’t to minimize your experiences. I’m merely saying what I did out of personal experience and a sense of desperation.

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago

I understand, and I see where you are coming from too.