Hey there, I’m from Germany and have mental health issues such as depression and was wondering how prevalent this topic is in America.
Here in Germany this topic has become extremely normal and pretty much everyone seems to openly talk about it even with strangers sometimes. We have a lot of therapists but it’s often hard to get an appointment since medical care in Germany is free and they have overwhelming numbers of people and the therapists don’t have enough availability to accommodate everyone. The therapists I had so far were pretty good since they really seemed to care about me and often did overtime and such to talk.
I wonder if it’s similar in America that a lot of people go to therapy and openly talk about mental health. What is the situation in America like? Do you have many therapists (especially in rural areas) and how easy is it to get in/finance? Or would you say this topic is generally more frowned upon in America in comparison?
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Very common topic to talk about, semi expensive and hard to find good therapists.
There’s still a sticky stigma for anyone born before the 90s that consumes a not-insignificant part of the population.
Well, so far it’s been pretty clear we’re willing to let lots of school children get shot and are willing to blame ANYTHING but the state of mental health care in this country, so I’d have to say that we’re not very good discussing this, or doing anything about it.
It’s a combination of the old British stiff upper lip, the American belief in rugged individualism, and a whole lot of just plain burying our heads in the sand.
…Also mental health coverage by insurance is usually not very good. You can typically get coverage to see a psychiatrist to get drugs for whatever ails you, but seeing a psychologist is a lot more iffy usually. Have to find one that takes your insurance, assuming your insurance pays for it at all, and even if it does pay for it you usually have some sort of visit limit, so hopefully whatever your issue is can be sorted out in 10 visits or whatever, so good luck god bless thoughts and prayers.
Wow 10 visits are very little. I used to go to a therapist for years, 2 times per week. I didn’t had to pay a cent but I ended it at some point cause I felt the therapist wasn’t helpful anymore.
I’m pretty open about my issues. Anyone under the age of about 35 is normally fine talking about that stuff. Once they get much older than that though, they generally start to look pretty uncomfortable if you bring up anything mental health related.
Anecdotally, both the college and university I went to made it very well known that students get free counseling. In hindsight I should’ve given it a shot.
Depends on the people that the more right the more likely they believe it doesn’t exists and its just weakness the more left the More People understand it and accept it.
This is based on my own experience I have experienced.
It always seems that white men thing mental illness is a fad and that it’s just weakness and don’t seek help, from my experience at least.
Therapy is extremely expensive compared first world countries, so most people can’t really get help, and sense a lot of people work 9-5 and therapists work 9-5 and us having trouble to survive and can’t take time off for it (or risk of getting fired for calling out) most of us don’t really go to therapy because of it.
It’s growing in prevalence.
But it comes up the most after mass shootings.
It used to be taboo, though recently became not I think, yet still isn’t all that prevalent, especially regarding ease of access. Most things are done for profits, not bc they help people. Also, how do you even begin to unpack the shit storm of what our parents handed down to us… I think it may have been the pandemic that opened some of this for discussion.
