Dear Dr. Fuller,
“Roy and I discovered, as I thought from reading him over several months, that we see very different patient populations. Patients who are in hospital, who are acutely psychotic, hallucinating, disabled by their illness do indeed seem to be suffering from a brain illness, from something having gone awry in the brain. And I have no problem ceding that they are best cared for by psychiatrists and that indeed, they should have parity in insurance coverage, as with any chronic illness.
But these are not the people that I see in my practice nor that most therapists see.” --- Jun 17, 2007 9:13 AM Cheryl Fuller, Ph.D
Hmmm…I seem to sense a little a change in your understanding and approach to serious brain illness or what I prefer to discuss as serious mood orders. Unlike you I also prefer to not use the much maligned, discriminated and stigmatized use of the term “mental illness.”
I’ll also take exception to your writings when you make statements or generalizations such as “most therapists” unless you’d care to document that statement. I know that my spouse’s current psychologist is not part of that group or for that matter all the other psychologists she’s seen through the years. The fact is, they simply were not capable or equipped to help her and some similarly to you may have assumed that she was part of what you described as “depressive personalities” when in fact their illnesses or possible brain malfunctioning caused their “depressive personalities” or other symptomology.
I’m just glad to see that you too, as a mental health professional, are beginning to open you’re mind to the possibility of “something having gone awry in the brain” and while your professionalism and skills are needed for those considerably less challenged there are times to understand one’s limitations and to refer a more seriously ill patient on to another more capable professional to hopefully achieve wellness for the patient.
Warmly,
Herb
VNSdepression.com
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Ahh...I am finally able to comment from personal experience instead of unsubstantiated opinion!
I AM that woman who is wrestling with the impact of abusive parent(s). While I agree that not everything is a brain illness and I absolutely despise the "depression hurts" (and many other) pharm. commercials; psychiatric medication made therapy possible for me. It is a FACT that the hope provided by a caring GP who prescribed an antidepressant AND called my insurance herself to find out who was on the plan, quite literally saved my life. Is it the med itself that helped? Probably not at that point...it was the caring GP and the verbal contract she required I enter into with her. However, in the week and a half it took to actually find a therapist and start going, I actually started to feel a tiny bit better. That WAS the antidepressant. The antianxielitic the GP also prescribed is what allowed me to actually start calling to find a therapist...and what made it possible to walk through her office door the first time. In the five years since then, I have been on and off the antideprssants. The anxiety med has been a constant but I have gone from needing it every single day to needing half of one every two or three weeks. I have gone back to college and am actually succeeding and my relationship has gone from uncertain to rock solid (14 years this year). Was this due to meds? Of course not. But it was made POSSIBLE because of meds; the combination of meds AND therapy is often the best way to go.
Also...none of this would have happened without my insurance. You don't think insurance should pay for it. Okay, cool. I (and many other people out there) can not afford $40 or $50 a week. My monthly income is nil...my partners is about $2500. Rent alone is $1600 (this is a small apartment)...how would you have me pay for therapy? Without insurance, I would alomst certainly be dead now.
Because I do not accept insurance, I am able to offer a very generous sliding scale for my fees. I have seen people for as little as $15/session. Obviously I cannot afford to see everyone at that very low rate as i have my own life expenses to pay. Many people are unaware that insurance coverage drove fees up, because they could charge more and because of the cost of collecting from insurance -- companies routinely delay paying for 30 days or more and a therapist's landlord is no more understanding about such things than yours is.
It would not be appropriate for me to comment directly on your situation.
I am glad you have found your treatment to be helpful. I wish for everyone that they live a long and happy life.
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