All therapists go to hell

[spellbound]

I just want to explain my thoughts on why I think therapy doesn't work. It's not about the abuse from therapists, it's not about them sending you straight to the psych ward as soon as you mention the bus, and it's not about them clearly having no clue what it's like to be truly miserable, although all of these are massive issues with therapy. I just think it doesn't work as a system.

Therapy, much like any job, is a business. Which means that therapists, living under a capitalistic society, are businessmen. What they do is capitalise on the need to self-improvement by selling you the idea that you need professional help for serious problems. Obviously, anyone who's been to therapy can tell they're not any smarter or helpful than your average friend, but they hide that with silence and the impression that everything they say is calculated.

Alr, so therapist monetise mental health, big news. So what ?
The true problem is therapy can only work if you have a good life already. Because what therapy does is officialise the fact that you're "trying to get better". Aka if you're depressed and you're not getting professional help, in the eyes of society, you're just a useless fucking bum. But as soon as you go to a shrink, they see that you're trying to work on yourself. And then potentially you'll get better, but it ain't cause of therapy, it's only cause you made the step of going to therapy which allowed you to work on yourself.

So what's the alternative to making that step without some useless, dumb, and potentially dangerous middle aged white man taking all your cash ? The answer is what mental health has always been about : community. Obviously you can work on yourself alone, but it's a much harder path, and people are what will help you. And they'll help you not because you pay them, but because they truly care. And this is why places like this forum are extremely important.

"Thinking the therapist cares about your mental health is like thinking the stripper has a crush on you"

 

[Quzevi]

I just want to explain my thoughts on why I think therapy doesn't work. It's not about the abuse from therapists, it's not about them sending you straight to the psych ward as soon as you mention the bus, and it's not about them clearly having no clue what it's like to be truly miserable, although all of these are massive issues with therapy. I just think it doesn't work as a system.

Therapy, much like any job, is a business. Which means that therapists, living under a capitalistic society, are businessmen. What they do is capitalise on the need to self-improvement by selling you the idea that you need professional help for serious problems. Obviously, anyone who's been to therapy can tell they're not any smarter or helpful than your average friend, but they hide that with silence and the impression that everything they say is calculated.

Alr, so therapist monetise mental health, big news. So what ?
The true problem is therapy can only work if you have a good life already. Because what therapy does is officialise the fact that you're "trying to get better". Aka if you're depressed and you're not getting professional help, in the eyes of society, you're just a useless fucking bum. But as soon as you go to a shrink, they see that you're trying to work on yourself. And then potentially you'll get better, but it ain't cause of therapy, it's only cause you made the step of going to therapy which allowed you to work on yourself.

So what's the alternative to making that step without some useless, dumb, and potentially dangerous middle aged white man taking all your cash ? The answer is what mental health has always been about : community. Obviously you can work on yourself alone, but it's a much harder path, and people are what will help you. And they'll help you not because you pay them, but because they truly care. And this is why places like this forum are extremely important.

"Thinking the therapist cares about your mental health is like thinking the stripper has a crush on you"

You are absolutely right.

 

[bl33ding_heart]

I agree, I've had 3 therapists before and not a single one of them were helpful. Therapy is useless for people that are actually mentally ill.

 

[certified_idiot]

It heavily depends on your therapist. I agree that you can't truly get better unless you're in a comfortable spot, but therapy is one constant I've had in my life for years now. For me, it's more about keeping my stable rather that recovery at this point. It depends on the person and depends on the therapist, but therapy can be really helpful.

It is quite hard to find a therapist that matches with you, but saying that therapy doesn't work discourages people from getting help. The real problem is the broken healthcare system. Some people can work through it, some people can't, but I think it's worth it to try.

 

[spellbound]

It heavily depends on your therapist. I agree that you can't truly get better unless you're in a comfortable spot, but therapy is one constant I've had in my life for years now. For me, it's more about keeping my stable rather that recovery at this point. It depends on the person and depends on the therapist, but therapy can be really helpful.

I'm not saying therapy doesn't work because most therapists are idiots, even tho they are, I'm saying therapy doesn't work as a system. So, to me, it doesn't depends on your therapist.
Im truly happy for you that you feel helped, and I certainly don't mean to tell you to drop it. It's just my opinion that your therapist isn't to thank because no therapist can ever help, you can only help yourself. Every therapist I've met said the same thing, they were just too hypocritical and money hungry to further that claim and admit they were useless.

It is quite hard to find a therapist that matches with you, but saying that therapy doesn't work discourages people from getting help.

I'm absolutely not discouraging people from getting help, on the contrary. But in today's society, people think getting help is synonymous with going to therapy, which it really isn't, it's the opposite if anything. I encourage people to get help from other people, people who care, people who've been in your shoes. Therapist aren't taught in school what it feels like to pray god to grant you death at 13 even though you've never believed in him. They don't know our pain, they don't know how to help it, and they don't care about it.

Some people can work through it, some people can't, but I think it's worth it to try.

I can understand what you're saying when you say it's worth a try tho. I think it's important to make up your own mind. But people gotta understand that theyre potentially exposing themselves to danger, and that theyre feeding probably the worst aspect of capitalism.

 

[8hsjyd]

While many therapists certainly are just 'clocking in', so to speak, I don't believe that it's reasonable to suggest that simply because therapy is an occupation, it necessarily means that all of those within the career are merely aiming to extort their patients/use them primarily for money. While perhaps difficult to believe, a significant portion of therapists have selected their profession not for the salary (which can vary), but in order to truly help people. Often times these are individual practices and not megacorporation. Likewise, just because a service is dependent on capital such that the provider can stay afloat, that doesn't mean the service or product isn't genuine. One may think of certain films, books, games, albums, and so on which fit the mold of being products of passion first and foremost, but which nevertheless charge money as a tertiary matter.

Additionally, I think therapy--at least with an adequate practitioner-- bases itself on trying to actually enact positive change, not just the officalizing of the vague notion that one is trying to get better. While things can get in the way of this primary aim of enacting change (e.g. terrible material circumstances which therapy often can't improve on its own), provided one believes themselves capable of improving and provided one is willing to listen to the efforts of a practitioner without scoffing or thinking themselves superior, change can occur.

All that said, finding an adequate, helpful therapist can be truly difficult. I've certainly been very much burned by bad practitioners myself, but ultimately I've recognized that it isn't helpful to believe that an entire category is rotten. Such statements are effectively never true. I also very much agree with you in the importance of community in relation to mental health and feelings of belonging.

 

[spellbound]

While many therapists certainly are just 'clocking in', so to speak, I don't believe that it's reasonable to suggest that simply because therapy is an occupation, it necessarily means that those within the career are merely aiming to extort their patients/use them primarily for money. While perhaps difficult to believe, a significant portion of therapists have selected their profession not for the salary (which can vary), but in order to truly help people as these are often times individual practices and not megacorporation. Likewise, just because a service is dependent on capital such that the provider can stay afloat, that doesn't mean the service or product isn't genuine. One may think of certain films, books, games, albums, and so on which fit the mold of being products of passion first and foremost, but which nevertheless charge money as a tertiary matter.

You're not wrong, but therapist weren't my main point of critic, therapy as a system was, and therapists enable that. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". I really don't care that they're genuine, just like I don't care that cops are trying to do good for their community. It's about perpetrating a toxic system.

Additionally, I think therapy--at least with an adequate practitioner-- bases itself on trying to actually enact positive change, not just officalizing the vague notion that one is trying to get better. While things can get in the way of this primary aim (e.g. terrible material circumstances which therapy often can't improve on its own), provided one believes themselves capable of improving and provided one is willing to listen to the efforts of the practitioner without scoffing or thinking themselves superior, change can occur.

Well yeah, that's what therapists say obviously, my main point was that the whole therapy process is not actually helping and the only reason it is is because people are trying to get better, hence why they go to a therapist. But the therapist isn't the reason, the act of wanting to get better is. Our people struggling with mental health know that once you want to get better and you make a concrete action toward that (ex going to a therapist) you're halfway there. But the therapist didn't do anything and he ain't gonna do nothing for the other half. That was all you and it's gonna keep on being your work.