# why is it so EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!1



## justin984 (Jun 9, 2005)

I finally, after years of putting it off, booked an appointment with a psychologist. He goes for the bargain low price of 104 dollars per session, and that is after subtracting the 50% covered by my insurance. Why in god's name is this so expensive?! I could understand if results were guaranteed but from what I've read, there is A LOT of failure within the mental health industry. What the hell?!


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I wanna see a psychologist too but i cant afford the $200/hour fee. So i see therapists and counselors who are free instead.


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## justin984 (Jun 9, 2005)

I may have to do that too. 100 dollars a session is ridiculous. And that doesn't include the appointments with a psychiatrist if he decides I need medication. This is total bs.


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## ~AJ~ (Jan 23, 2008)

yeah, save your money for things that are more certain


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## Maslow (Dec 24, 2003)

Just visit your local library and read up on social anxiety. It's free! Unless they have group sessions where you can practice talking to people, therapists are WAY over priced.


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## holtby43 (Jan 1, 2008)

It's incredibly expensive when you work it out that it's about £1/$2 per minute and how many minutes go to waste.

Thank god my psychiatrist and medication is free!

SA is expensive!


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## coolguy (Oct 16, 2007)

I see a graduate intern for 20$ per session with no insurance. She has completed her Masters and had many years of experience in related fields.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

coolguy said:


> I see a graduate intern for 20$ per session with no insurance. She has completed her Masters and had many years of experience in related fields.


cool, where did you find her?


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## xboxfreak (Jul 22, 2008)

I just booked an appointment (soonest is 2 months away; how ridiculous) and they said my insurance should cover it but it would still be a co-pay of $10-$30 per session plus my deductible (probably around $500/year).

This is ridiculous. Way too expensive (and I have good/decent insurance) and I can't get an appointment booked sooner than 2 months.


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

Maslow said:


> therapists are WAY over priced.


:ditto

My anxiety goes up just thinking about all the wasted money. I was lucky enough to find a decent free therapist.


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## Nottalkin (Nov 12, 2008)

OK so this is A slightly odd question but...

If you are forcefully committed to a mental institution do you have to pay for it?

Me not derailing the thread me promise!!!:blush


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## its_Rob (Oct 20, 2008)

Nottalkin said:


> OK so this is A slightly odd question but...
> 
> If you are forcefully committed to a mental institution do you have to pay for it?
> 
> Me not derailing the thread me promise!!!:blush


That is an odd question but I don't think so.


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## Sara 001 (Nov 16, 2008)

I contacted my county health services. They had a mental health division and I see a therapist and a psychologist for my meds for just $6 a visit. Without that I could never afford it.


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## SimFeliz (Jul 30, 2007)

Yes! I pay $140 a session. Still early days so not sure if it's worth it. He wanted me to go weekly I just couldn't afford to have it that often have to stick to fortnightly sessions.

The sucky thing is there was a free service, but you had to be unemployed to get it. Sure that's great to help the unemployed, but just because I have a job doesn’t mean I have money to throw away.


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## moretimeleft (Oct 8, 2008)

I'm not an advocate of therapy, but if you're on disability you're entitled to a free therapist other than co-pays.


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## CoconutHolder (Oct 13, 2007)

its_Rob said:


> That is an odd question but I don't think so.


I didn't think it was an odd question.
Seems like a good question to me. :stu


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## milo001 (Nov 26, 2008)

fortunately i'm not from u.s or else i don't know if my family could even efford the g.h bill or not.


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## Cicero (Dec 4, 2008)

Maslow said:


> Just visit your local library and read up on social anxiety. It's free! Unless they have group sessions where you can practice talking to people, therapists are WAY over priced.


This is what I've been doing, and it seems to be working well for me. I just finished The Anxiety Book by Jonathan Davidson -- it's simple and straightforward, and I highly recommend it.


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

I actually saw an anxiety and depression infomercial last night. Some of the people sounded a lot like the people on here. I think they offered a free cd by calling the number. Of course the free cd would probably tell you to call someplace to get the real cds, which cost money, but I thought the commercial was interesting.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I finally got referred to a free psychologist woot!


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## dontcare (Oct 6, 2008)

my rich uncle Sam pays for it all. 50 sessions a year, zero copay.

my therapist mostly follows the shyness & social anxiety workbook, which I find entertaining. but following books on my own wasn't enough for me.

I wish they'd pay ME for attending the sessions though. what, is my time any less valuable?


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## Skaz (Jul 26, 2004)

It all boils down to the fact that the state ( or insurance company for those of you in the US) is mostly interested to make you "funtional" and for the least amount of money. It's sole interest is that you get out there and make money to pay them back in the form of fees and taxes.

For example the model on which the US seems to be built on it's the ever constant fear of people getting a "free ride" through the system. Not pulling their weight and not earning their status or welfare and so on. A social Darwinism of sorts based on "survival of the fittest". Or at least it was intended that way. Now it just perpetuates the inequalities of having different starting positions. 

The second fact is that psychology isn't yet accepted as a "health care" science. Psychiatry and pharmacology are still considered as the appropriate handling of mental disorders. Psychology is considered a "backup" of sorts, stemming from the fact that after the World Wars the amount of soldiers and civilians with PTSD flooded the system so psychologists were called in as a form of a stopgap. If not for the help it made during those years it would most likely still be considered a form of philosophy. 

So psychologist aren't subsidized like the drugs that psychiatrists work with. And you're dealing with the single most expensive cost of all, man hours. So until there is more recognition of the benefit from therapies like CBT the cost will stay high. 

And that means it's a political thing in the end...damn politicians...


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