I feel like there should be a discussion here about "therapy" vs. talk therapy vs. psychology etc. (hexbear.net)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by Guamer@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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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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[-] FortifiedAttack@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

My view is that if you have the ability to self-reflect, talk therapy is 100% useless. They aren't going to tell you anything you couldn't think of on your own.

This gets especially frustrating with ADHD where doctors try to force you to take therapy as a prerequisite for receiving medication. Sorry, but I can think of ways to deal with my problems myself without needing some dipshit listening to me. What I can't do on my own however is fix the chemical imbalance in my brain, without having access to the prescription meds that allow this.

[-] newmou@hexbear.net 13 points 2 months ago

I disagree, there are therapists who understand professional ways of reframing experiences to help you understand a new way of interpreting them, which can be very insightful

[-] ghost_of_faso2@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 2 months ago

I often think about what a therapist would tell my abuser and how they would help them seek peace and comfort without actually addressing any of the harm they caused,

Its a defferal mechanism at its worst, heres how you can be ok.

As a marxist the only thing im actually interested in, that therapy cannot provide is restorative justice; undo the harm that has been caused, financially compensate me ect.

I feel in a fairer society therapy would come with actual real life actions and changes to laws, politics and society. As it stands it feels more like a railroad of defferal where they can box people in and keep them as active workers paying tax.

It has utlity, I just hate the neo-liberal conception and structure/outcomes of it.

[-] newmou@hexbear.net 1 points 2 months ago

Yeah it’s just coping

[-] TheSpectreOfGay@hexbear.net 11 points 2 months ago

Not really.

I started therapy a bit before I broke up with my abusive ex. I had always thought that I had a very good way of introspecting; when there were problems in the relationship I was able to reflect on my actions and improve myself. Turns out I was just being gaslit into thinking everything was my fault, and I needed a therapist who knew what tells of abuse and abuse victims were so it could be clear to me that I was acting like an abuse victim and my relationship was obviously and clearly abusive.

Your perspective on yourself and your actions is not infallible, everyone is prone to biases and blindspots.

[-] Guamer@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

I don't think that's very fair. I like to think I'm a thoughtful, self-reflective person, but even I need help with things. Talking with someone else openly about things I may otherwise keep to myself is very helpful to me.