5 Reasons Telepsychiatry Is Here to Stay
Given my own experiences with telehealth, this article really caught my eye. In fact, my first experience with telehealth was on the 7 Cups platform itself a few years ago. It had been a couple years since my last in-person therapy visit, and at the time, I was quite unsure of telehealth. But due to the logistics in my life (and my desire for more than one interaction a week), I decided to give telehealth a shot. And honestly? I found it just as effective as in-person treatment. That said, I realize that my experience may not necessarily apply to everyone. At any rate, let’s take a closer look at this article.
I suppose one could indeed say that COVID-19 shined a light on working from home as well as telehealth itself. And by 2021, more than half of Americans said they would use telepsychiatry services, with 66% of young adults willing to give telehealth a try. And aside from more young adults trying telehealth, telehealth is responsible for a decline in no-show medical visits by 7.5% during the COVID-19 shift to telehealth.
It should also be noted that while the stigma surrounding mental health has improved, many discussions of mental health continue to reference mental health struggles as fundamentally different and separate from physical health. And with that separation, many people who are struggling do not seek help. Which, in turn, causes their mental illness to get worse, perpetuating their issues. So it stands to reason that the added privacy of telehealth can play a key role in ending mental health stigma.
My own personal logistics that I mentioned at the outset can also affect other people as well. For a traditional appointment for mental health, aside from the appointment itself, you have the prep and travel time. Not to mention possibly taking time off of work as well. Also, for those struggling with issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other executive dysfunction, the task of even getting to the appointment can feel daunting.
There are also potential lower costs to be considered with telehealth, for both providers and clients. And as far as the various platforms for telehealth are concerned, internet connections have improved and providers have learned how to make telehealth HIPPA compliant.
So in conclusion, I really feel like telehealth is here to stay. It is something I used prior to COVID, and certainly something that I have also used after COVID as well. For me, I really enjoy the convenience, privacy, and communication that telehealth brings for mental health.
Read the full article here.
For those of you who have used telehealth services before for your mental health, have you had good experiences? Also, if you haven’t used telehealth, is it something that you’re interested in using at some point? Why or why not?
#Telehealth #MentalHealth #EasierAccess
@sereneSunset26
I think that it depends on what the person is experiencing. As you said, for those struggling with some issues such as depression the task of getting to the appointment can feel daunting. However, I feel that it could be the key. Behavior activation in depression has promising results and there are many benefits to spending time outside and it might help them feel better. Staying at home every day will not provide them with opportunities for positive encounters. Therefore, I think that even though telehealth has benefits as well (e.g. more time-efficient) it is not suitable for everyone. I cannot imagine treating phobias or serious mental conditions via the internet.
@globalBraid3744
I think that it depends on what the person is experiencing. As you said, for those struggling with some issues such as depression the task of getting to the appointment can feel daunting. However, I feel that it could be the key. Behavior activation in depression has promising results and there are many benefits to spending time outside and it might help them feel better. Staying at home every day will not provide them with opportunities for positive encounters. Therefore, I think that even though telehealth has benefits as well (e.g. more time-efficient) it is not suitable for everyone. I cannot imagine treating phobias or serious mental conditions via the internet.
You are absolutely correct that telehealth does have limits and that each in person's case is different. I feel there are those with serious conditions who *would* be able to be treated with telehealth, but you're right, those could be the exception to the rule, so to speak.
@sereneSunset26
I've had many friends who used telehealth for therapy and also physical ailments as well. It's got its ups and downs from what I've heard. For physical ailments it can be extremely frustrating because you're not able to clearly convey what the injury or issue is. Also the doctor isn't right there to see you. Also for therapy check-ups, my friends said it was very ineffective since that person to person connection seemed missing on online. Either way I think telehealth is a great way to streamline and make healthcare more accessible, however, there are still many clear benefits of doing things in-person.
@sunnyWriting4806
I've had many friends who used telehealth for therapy and also physical ailments as well. It's got its ups and downs from what I've heard. For physical ailments it can be extremely frustrating because you're not able to clearly convey what the injury or issue is. Also the doctor isn't right there to see you. Also for therapy check-ups, my friends said it was very ineffective since that person to person connection seemed missing on online. Either way I think telehealth is a great way to streamline and make healthcare more accessible, however, there are still many clear benefits of doing things in-person.
I would agree with you (and globalbraid) that telehealth for sure isn't a one-size fits all. I know when I did it, that it was key for me to maintain eye contact with my therapist, including the both of us occasionally looking directly into our cameras. For me, this helped to solidify the emotional connection by making it more real. But yeah, like I said, I agree that some (or even most) people need that in-person connection to be successfully treated.
@sereneSunset26 I haven't used telepsychiatry but I think it would be good for the people who struggle to leave the house. It might also help those that are uncomfortable with face-to-face interaction.
@comfortableNight4463
Yeah, I feel like logistical issues involving transportation with some types of isolating mental illnesses can make telehealth an attractive option for some people. Even if it's just a springboard for them towards in-person sessions.
@sereneSunset26 I have used TeleHealth for my mental health appointments! I think there are good and bad aspects to it. It's nice because you don't have to drive to the office, but you don't have that personal connection that you would with being in person. I think it varies from person to person about how they feel about it.
@fruityPond7887
Yeah, you're right on that personal connection.
For me, it was enough to do counseling via video-chat as I felt that there was enough of a personal connection there. But I do realize, that for very good reasons, that that might not necessarily be the same for everyone else.
@sereneSunset26 Yeah! I think there's definitely pros and cons! I think I'm in a bit of therapy burnout right now, so maybe I'm just aggravated with it but it's made getting help so much more accessible for many people!
@fruityPond7887
I can't say I blame you for feeling burned out with therapy; I've been there myself more than once. In my case, not so much because of the individual therapists, but more like the therapeutic process of opening up and addressing everything, lol.
@sereneSunset26 It's so annoying when you have to start with a new therapist and tell your wholllllle life story over again 😂 The therapists at my school were doing their clinical hours and training, so it was common that they left and I went through 3 of them. It was so rough starting over constantly, especially after I absolutely adored one of them 😞
@fruityPond7887
That is rough!! If you don't mind me asking, were you able to find a permanent(ish?) therapist that you were able to be comfortable with?
@sereneSunset26 Yeah so I'm actually in therapy now every couple weeks! She's alright 😂 Kinda weird honestly lol but it is what it is. I honestly think I'm burnt out from therapy though. Thank you for asking!
@fruityPond7887
No worries!!
And I can definitely understand the feeling of being burnt out with therapy, 100%.
There have been times in my breaks from therapy where I have redoubled on my meditation--which sometimes does feel like it's enough. I thankfully have a really good therapist who's pretty much on retainer for me when I need them. :)
@sereneSunset26 That's amazing! Good therapists are hard to come by! It's almost like dating 😂 then you feel bad if you tell them it isn't working out lol
@fruityPond7887
You know, that is a really on-point analogy in regards to dating and finding the right therapist. I never thought about it that way before, but I can totally see it. And of course the recovering people-pleaser in me really enjoys the awkwardness, as do we all 😂.
@sereneSunset26 Lol I hate the awkwardness! I literally switched therapists one time because he was like talking to a rock. I would tell him something and then he would ask "Well, what do you think?" Uhhhh, I don't know- that's why I'm here! But I guess what works for one person won't work for another and that's okay!
@fruityPond7887
I know what you mean with that kind of awkwardness.
I had one therapist, who valuable as he was (he taught me about mindfulness and meditation), called on "cognitive fusing" whenever I felt like I was explained anything in-depth. He also framed this as a negative and got increasingly detached with time. Lol, needless to say, I made a change.
@sereneSunset26 Wait what's cognitive fusing?!
@fruityPond7887
Haha, I probably should have explained that a bit better!!
So cognitive fusing (to my understanding) is basically just sharing/attaching our thoughts to an experience. And really, I do not believe that this is inherently bad, even in therapy.
But like I said, for whatever reason, my therapist back then chose to look/read my thoughts about a certain experience as a negative kind of fusion in that specific context. To this day and forevermore, I will disagree with him about that, lol.
suppose it's good & convenient for many, but I for one will always prefer organic in-person meeting
@Frontenacs97 I agree with you! There's nothing like talking face to face!
@Frontenacs97
I definitely get that. There's so much to be said for the in-person human connection where you can *feel* somebody's vibe and personality. And where therapy is concerned, that can be absolutely necessary when it comes to being able to open up and work through our issues.
@sereneSunset26 got me thinking that I should start getting addiction treatment I deserve. I cam across a form of addiction treatment commonly referred as Telehealth. I have heard good things about about certain virtual treatment rehabs like ChoicePoint. I think I might seek help before it is too late. If you too are in need of virtual treatment then check this out! https://medium.com/@nisa.samar93/new...a-16a55384addc