Help talking to a proffesional about panic attacks?
I won't give away too much info, but lets just say I am over 18 and on parents insurance, living on the west coast (US). I have panic attacks and suffer from abnormal amounts of stress and anxiety. It has been affecting me for years and I'd like to finally get proffesional help. I don't even know where to start. I want this to remain private and secret from my family (for various reasons, but trust me I do NOT want them knowing). I'd love to talk to a doctor but I'm worried my family will find out because im on their insurance. Is there any way to do this without them knowing and without them being billed? I have money so I'm hoping I can pay myself. Anyone have a ballpark idea of how much a consultation and possible tests may run me for panic attacks/ anxiety? I'm just looking for a general idea. Any help would be greatly appreciated, please help me out.
The cost is very difficult to estimate. Therapists charge per session (typically 50 minutes), and I'd say a ballpark figure for the session price would be $150. But it's very variable depending on the therapist. Half that or twice that would not surprise me. Price and skill are not very strongly related. You can easily call some therapists' offices and ask what they charge.
The number of sessions required is also very difficult to estimate. It depends on how complex the problem turns out to be, not on how severe the symptoms are. I'd guess most people need between 6 and 20 sessions for anxiety and panic attacks. A therapist won't be able to estimate how long treatment will be until you've had one or two sessions.
For anxiety and panic attacks the most usual kind of therapy would be CBT, and many CBT therapists would not run any tests. But some might, and in that case I have no idea what the cost might be. It might just be rolled into the session price. Some of the most common tests are publicly available free online.
Not all therapists are good at it. Academic qualifications are not a useful guide, and state licensure is no guide at all. There's some information about finding a good therapist here: Find a CBT therapist
I don't think you normally need to get a referral from a doctor first, but again it's easy to call and ask. In rare cases a therapist might refer you to a physician or a psychiatrist as part of your treatment, however, and this would mean more costs.
@anonyShade9123
@RarelyCharlie
Thank you so much for your input. I'm very interested in therapy and I think a therapist could really help me with my anxiety and panic attacks. I know its not really necessary to go through a physician, but I want to because I know mental and physical health are tied together and I would like to look into that too. Also, theres ways for a physician to test for any condition or disorder that may be related or partially causing panic attacks, so I really want to start with a physician and go from there. Its hard for me to contact a doctor because I'm on my parents insurance though, and I know they'd find out through insurance that I went to the doctor. My parents are not helpful when it comes to mental health and against seeing therapists or physicians to help (Hence why I want it kept to myself). I don't know if thats possible though. Like.. Can I pay without the help from insurance? I would be willing to go that far. Thank you again for replying to my post, have a great new year.
