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Therapy is not Appropriate or Effective for Everybody
Evidence suggests it’s often no better than placebo, and even harmful to some. So why do we keep pushing it as a one size fits all solution?
Mental health struggles have become significantly destigmatized in the last decade. While this should be positive in itself, the problem is that it’s often practiced in a superficial way which does nothing but exacerbate the loneliness and isolation behind much of the mental illness in our society.
For example, it’s extremely commonplace for people to urge others to “go to therapy” anytime they reach out for support. While many people probably think they’re being helpful with the suggestion, its actually rude and condescending: often less an act of genuine concern and more-so one of absolving oneself of the burden and passing it somewhere else, rather than giving these individuals the meaningful human connection they really need. In a sense, it’s a sort of secular alternative to telling someone you’ll pray for them; a way of superficially announcing that you care without having to make any real efforts to show it.
In an act that absolutely reeks of classist privilege, it’s just as common for people to insist that “stigma” and “shame” are the main reasons people don’t go to…
