I thought I would Dr. Phil in my article today, just to have a little fun, since he is known for his top 10 lists.

For years therapy has been frowned upon and many clients who have attended it have been chastised. As of recent, more and more are entering treatment due to the state of affairs in the world, and when somebody new enters my facility, I ask them what has prevented them from attending.

Here are the top reasons:  

1. I can’t afford treatment.

This is a very valid claim. Treatment prices have gone up, insurance companies have limited their funding, and the overall economy has been suffering. In regards to insurance, even if you’ve paid the premiums, it doesn’t guarantee insurance will pay their share. It is a common practice for insurance companies to reimburse people in 90 days, so you are forced to pay the doctor, wait for 90 days, and if you are lucky, receive a check in the mail. In today’s mail, I found a refund check for a session dated 1/25/24. Today is May 15^th!

In our Intensive Outpatient Program, we need to contact the insurance company to have coverage pre-approved. We fill out the forms, include personal information about why they need intensive treatment, and wait for their approval which sometimes takes over a week. In that time period, the client suffers. They need help now, but the insurance has to prime their machine first – I guess. After approval the client pays their portion, to cover their deductible, and after treatment is over the 90-day clock begins to tick. The real question is… Do we get paid by the insurance? Unfortunately, it is the roll of the dice. Some insurance companies are compliant, but others hold all the cards and do what they do. It is not uncommon for the insurance company to send us a form letter, requesting documentation of the sessions provided, and refuse payment. After we complain, they transfer the case to a Peer Review where a psychiatrist or psychologist reviews the case with us, and determines if our claim is valid. Today my billing agent advised me of one of our current reviews which has gone on for over 2 years! And they are still having us provide the same documentation for the 4^th time! When we lose, our patients lose. Our company has lost thousands of dollars playing this game against a stacked deck.     

2. I just need to be more into the Word.

This statement was from a close family member who is an avid churchgoer. They believe that if they pray more or study the Bible more, all their problems will be washed away. I am not here to dissuade a person from prayer or Bible study, far from it. Without my beliefs, I couldn’t do this job. But, pragmatically, problems show up in our lives for a reason. Every issue we face was meant to be, for our learning and growth. If we make bad choices, then praying for God to intervene will not help us, finding the proper solutions will. I often ask people: “Do you want God to live your life for you or do you want to live your life for God?” As we process through our thoughts and feelings, God is right by our side and supporting us in becoming a better person.

3. I just don’t have the time.

You have time to go shopping or watch TV. Therapy isn’t an all-day affair… Well normally it isn’t. Treatment is usually one hour a week. If I do the math one hour in the 168 hours in a week can do wonders. Seriously speaking, we don’t have the time because we don’t make the time and make other things more important. Shoot, I suffered from panic attacks and “had” to go to therapy. Often people wait until the problem is unbearable.  

 

4. I don’t want this on my record.

This is very valid. As stated before, insurance companies will have access to your personal information. In fact, a patient of ours was afraid of disclosing they used Cannabis and had a few drinks at night because it may impact their life insurance policy. This is what the insurance companies have done. They tell us what not to do, judge if we do it, and deny claims. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few insurance companies who are responsible and have allowed people access to their funds. Though, I recently heard that insurance companies deny payments of roughly one million dollars a day! Even when the claims were preapproved!  

5. My partner was forcing me to go and I fought them.

I get it. I too resist when somebody is forcing me to do anything. Even if it is good for me I will resist. I praised this person for coming in, assumed they wanted to be there for themselves, and asked them what they wanted to get out of treatment.

6. My medication normally helped but it isn’t working now.

A sign of our society. Medication management has its place in treatment, however, it only addresses our physical needs. Medication cannot track an emotional outburst to its core, address the part inside of us that was originally traumatized, and help us learn and grow from the experience. Medication can keep us stable physically, however medication, in combination with therapy, is the best overall solution.

7. I thought I was a Functional Alcoholic, till my DUI.

Functional Alcoholic? People know it plays havoc on their organs, brain, and emotional stability. When alcohol helps you to function socially, you are taxing your physical body and losing roughly a decade of life with long-term use. A woman came into the Mental Health Urgent Care who was drinking heavily for 30 years. At first glance, she looked to be in her mid-70s. Actually, she was almost 45! A functional alcoholic doesn’t mean you will also have a functional marriage or employment.

Unfortunately, in my business, I’ve seen far too many people die from substance-related disorders. Not much has been mentioned about the accompanying shame of drinking. If you think it is the solution to your social anxiety, then why are you trying to cover it up?  

8. Therapy is for people who are weak.

That’s what I thought. People would be thinking, “Scott was too weak to solve his own problems. What an idiot!” Actually, I counsel a lot of very stable people. For them, counseling is a way to process through the difficulties in their life and get things off their chest to a person who is neutral and won’t pass along the information to others in their social network. In therapy, I have learned so many valuable tools to get me through very stressful situations, including doctor visits, dental visits, and the deaths of close ones.  

9. Laziness

Yes, I understand not wanting to deal with something. I tend to wait until the last minute to grapple with projects that take a lot of effort. Before therapy, I had hoped that I would simply wake up the next day and everything would be just fine. Wishful thinking at best. Emotional issues don’t just leave, they linger because they did happen, they hurt us, and left a scar. Down deep we are trying to avoid experiencing that pain again, so it leaves us on guard.

10. Fear

Anything new can trigger fear. I get it. I remember attending my first counseling session and wondering what the therapist was going to do to me. I hated not being in control and was forced to talk about the uncomfortable things in my life that I vowed never to talk about, but when I did so, well, it changed my life.

From spending every moment in panic to living a life filled with peace and happiness. I can only tell you about the impact therapy has had on me. Yes, you can read our reviews, but are they really true? The only real way to find out about therapy is to at least attend one session and experience things yourself. Last week, a person came in who had never attended therapy. They kept looking around the room and wondered if they were going to be okay. After the session was over they were amazed and proclaimed they loved talking about their life and having someone so interested in their story.

Give us a call, and let’s get you on the road to wellness.