Loneliness is stronger when not alone

Re:Loneliness is stronger when not alone by Lendal on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @10:52AM (#36404911)

I never thought that. I knew seeking professional help was about trying to fix the underlying problem through therapy, not about paying for friendship. I'm in the process of doing this for the first time myself. I'm having a first consultation today and the irony is that talking to anyone, even a therapist, has increased my anxiety in the short term. But I believe it's necessary and I will get through it because I can't live this way anymore. There must be a better way to live.

The reason I haven't done it earlier is because back in those days I had no health insurance and I knew it would be cost-prohibitive for me.

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Re:Loneliness is stronger when not alone by nick__m on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @12:19PM (#36406364)

I also get anxious before my therapy session and frequently feel drained afterwards but I found it to be quite beneficial and it gave me tools to deal with the existential dread that come with living with a partner who has metastatic breast cancer. I wish that your session will be as usefull to you as they are usefull to me.

Even if I am a Canadian I am so grateful to have gold plated private drugs insurance as one drug she currently takes is not reimbursed by the public regime (they cost around 6000$cad/months) and neither are my therapy sessions but both are covered by my policy.

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Re:Loneliness is stronger when not alone by coyotespike on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @12:22PM (#36406425)

I agree and good for you. I guess all good relationships have some sort of similarity, but therapy is otherwise unlike friendship. It's one-way, that's the whole point, they listen and hold space in a way that doesn't work in a friendship! And they (hopefully) have a lot of professional training in doing so.

Hope you find someone who can work with you in a productive way, best of luck!

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