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?
I can’t really speak for America outside of what I hear friends say but they seem fairly similar. I’m Canadian and it’s almost the same here as it is in Germany, with the exception of therapy. Psychiatrists are often covered by healthcare but have obscene wait times. Psychologists rarely are. There are some free intake ones and what have you but otherwise you’re paying.
America also seems similar to us in that regard too. Sometimes certain docs might be covered by your insurance but if so their wait times are insane. The ones who aren’t cost an arm and a leg. People like 35 and younger seem more open to talking about mental health issues than any of the older generations.
I do. I’m 40 years old and live in an isolated although not quite rural area of a mostly conservative state. I used to keep my struggles and issues to myself out of shame. At some point it occurred to me that talking about my struggles with depression and anxiety might help someone else not feel ashamed or embarrassed about their mental health leading them to seek help. “Be the change you want to see in the world”, right?
Like any chronic health condition, insurance can be a pain in the ass trying to find a good provider. Reading some of the other responses I’m feeling lucky in that the most difficult issue I’ve had is just finding a therapist I click with. My insurance has a feature on their website where I can find therapists in my area that are in their network.
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What is all that unnecessary attack for? Have you even ever been to Germany? My therapy got paid with normal insurance. Just gave the therapist the card to scan and that was it. I had 2 appointments every week for years. That was at least my experience as a now 21 year old German (I had therapy from when I was 16 until I was 20).
So you would say America is better in this regard?
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