Psychological Help

Published by

Clarissa

August 28, 2021

A reminder: if you are seeking psychotherapy or any form of psychological (as opposed to psychiatric) help, the #1 question to ask the therapist at the introductory meeting is whether he or she works with a supervisor. If the therapist has no idea what you mean or doesn’t immediately say “yes, of course,” please leave at once. A therapist / analyst who isn’t always, constantly in therapy to deal with and process the emotional garbage of the clients is a quack. A professional therapist / analyst pays at least twice what you pay him for his sessions with his supervisor.

The amount of quackery in the field of psychotherapy is incredible. I saw some discussions on therapist FB, and it’s enough to make you despair of humanity. These people are downright dangerous.

Also, I beg you, instead of life coaches and mindfulness coaches and all that sort of amateurish ridiculousness, seek real help from a qualified psychotherapist / psychoanalyst. Yes, it’s expensive. But it’s a lot less than you’ll spend on booze / food / pot / medication / whatever else you use to self-soothe AND on the medical interventions to treat the results of this self-soothing. Plus, once you don’t have to spend so much time and energy on self-soothing, you will simply make more money.

One more thing. Psychoanalysis is fantastic for treating addiction. A complete cure, really fast. You won’t have to spend the rest of your life fighting temptation and reciting “hi, I’m an alcoholic” as ritual humiliation to keep you from slipping up. None of the typical truisms of the conventional treatment of addiction apply. You don’t need to “hit rock bottom,” “really want to get better,” or even recognize that you have a problem with your substance. You can be one of those sad sacks who “just drink socially and can quit any time I want.” And it will still work because it’s not the kind of treatment that engages your consciousness or applies labels.

I don’t know about all insurance companies but Blue Cross / Blue Shield recognizes and reimburses for psychoanalysis. Not 100% but a good chunk.

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7 responses to “Psychological Help”

Hyakujo’s Fox

August 28, 2021

How does one go about finding a good psychoanalyst? I’ve been struggling with depression and addiction for quite a few years now and find myself in exactly the situation you describe. I’ve sough out medication which helped with depression but not with addiction. However I really don’t know how to get started? What am I looking for? Any help is much appreciated 🙂

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1. Clarissa
  
  August 28, 2021
  
  Look for an institute of psychoanalysis or an association of psychoanalysts in your area. Look at the photos. See which faces make you feel more comfortable. Many put videos online to help prospective clients hear them and figure out if they are a match. Many people now work on Skype, so you don’t even have to be constrained by location. Here in STL, this guy works on Skype and does absolute miracles with addiction: https://www.stlpi.org/faculty-profile/?smid=6196
  
  He never treated me but I know people he has treated.
  
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  1. Hyakujo’s Fox
    
    August 28, 2021
    
    Thank you! This helps greatly. I found a similar organization in my area. The tip about skype is great too – wasn’t sure how great remote therapy was.
    
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Post Alley Crackpot

August 28, 2021

Without case and treatment review, it’s just like asking random strangers at a bar for their opinions, but without the alcohol.

These “therapists” should open bars and offer drinks instead, that might be cheaper for the same quality of advice. 🙂

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1. Clarissa
  
  August 28, 2021
  
  And probably more useful, too.
  
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Dreidel

August 28, 2021

Clarissa, are you undergoing true classical “psychoanalysis” or a more interactive therapy??

Classical psychoanalysis as practiced by Freud is done for an hour five days a week, has almost NO active involvement from the therapist who simply sits behind the patient, out of direct sight, and occasionally mutters non-suggestive short sentences like, “Yes, go on…” or “Tell me more…” The patient just rambles on for an hour, free-associating whatever thoughts come into his mind — and somehow this process eventually cures the patient’s “neurosis.”

Today few people have the time or the $$ to pay for five outpatient sessions a week for a prolonged course of treatment.

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1. Clarissa
  
  August 28, 2021
  
  Five sessions a week existed for bored bourgeois ladies 100 years ago. Today’s working people would go literally nuts with 5 sessions a week. Today, an analyst might agree to two a week for a short period of time if you are in serious need and can tolerate it without blowing your lid. Otherwise, it’s once a week.
  
  An analyst mirrors the patient’s behavior. N’s is extremely taciturn because it takes a long time for N to produce words. Mine had to force himself to mimic my very gregarious and mercurial behavior, which I’m sure was hard. An analyst who just sits there silently can’t help me because I begin to perform and lecture, and it never ends. So the analyst had to interrupt me a lot. With N, though, there’s nothing to interrupt. The guy produces 2 words every half hour.
  
  Sometimes, my husband says “yes” out of nowhere. “Yes what?” I ask. “Yes to going to a restaurant next Wednesday” – which is something I proposed 30 minutes ago and completely forgotten since then.
  
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