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Isn't it awesome that we live in an age when going to therapy isn't as frowned upon as it was, for example, for Tony Soprano?

I'll go out on a limb and say that the internet culture has contributed to mental health awareness too.

There are countless online discussions where people not only share their struggles but also relate to each other, letting the other person know that their feelings are valid and offering suggestions on what they could do to make everything a little easier to bear.

And let's not forget the ultimate tool used for social normalization—humor; laughing at yourself and with others can remedy even some of the biggest wounds.

'Therapy Memes Group' is a Facebook community that invites us to do just that. Let's try!

However, as the public perception of therapy changes, new challenges are arising. A 2022 study from the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 6 in 10 psychologists "no longer have openings for new patients."

The shortage comes as demand for therapy soars: since the beginning of the pandemic, about three-quarters of practitioners have seen their waiting lists grow.

In the same period, almost 80% of practitioners reported an increase in patients with anxiety disorders and 66% have seen an increase in those needing treatment for depression.

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Edward Finger Hands
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And you’d think having all 3 would cancel them out…instead I end up standing in my kitchen turning in circles like a broken sim

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“I started my private practice just before Covid hit, and it was certainly filling up then,” Dr. Jennifer Reid, a psychiatrist, writer, and podcast host in Philadelphia, told The Guardian. “But the numbers have exponentially risen since that time.”

Reid even stopped advertising her practice on sites like Psychology Today and other places where people can find therapists. There's simply no need now.

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Feathered Dinosaur
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being an MD who worked as a psychiatrist and suffering from 3 of the above mentioned myself I can only say... it's true. No freaking other way that we know of, and it's frustrating the hell out of me.

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Schlay van Gay
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Removed "the chair" when remodeling my bedroom to avoid the pile of clothes. Let me introduce: "the floor".

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Reid focuses on anxiety and insomnia, which have been “major players” in the pandemic. According to her, people with anxiety, phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorder related to germs had particular trouble. Then there were the isolation and doomscrolling.

Now, she noticed, people are struggling to re-enter the world. "People are finding they're having anxiety trying to re-engage in social settings in situations that were previously not as safe", she said. “Now they’re having to kind of retrain their brains.”

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even great parents give you an awful lot of terrible gifts you just can't seem to get rid of

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Reid said people often may need to return to their primary care doctor for a period of time, “or they just end up going without and waiting on waitlists, unfortunately”.

The APA study also found that the average psychologist reported being contacted by 15 potential patients every month.

Reid, who combines therapy and medical approaches, said she generally has space for about one new patient every few weeks.

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To manage the growing demand, Reid works with a platform for Philadelphia therapists that allows them to see each other's availability. “We really feel a sense of responsibility to try and get patients some good options if we can, if we’re not able to see them,” she said.

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Seeking a therapist through word of mouth – asking friends or calling practitioners even if they’re fully booked – is a good first step. The increasing use of telehealth may also help, particularly under programs such as PsyPact, a legal framework that allows practitioners to work in multiple states. But remember that you can also simultaneously express yourself through memes!

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Jesse
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

me sharing that one time i hit my head and my mother yelled at me for getting blood on the table instead of helping me be like

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Feathered Dinosaur
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But even in Poland you can't stop playing this out in your head over and over...

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Feathered Dinosaur
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As your brain is inside your head, yeah, everything related to it is 'only in your head'

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Went on a wine tour yesterday and the guide explained how it's champagne only if it is from the town Champagne. It was destiny that made me open this post!

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fair_weather_rose
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But... but I made a list! See, it's a list with all the stuff I need/want to do today, and it's written in purple pen, which is my favorite pen to write in even though blue is my favorite color, but sometimes I tell people my favorite color is red or black, because those are the colors I wear the most, but I actually really like silver, but I don't think I have any silver clothes... wait, what was I talking about?

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Jill
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Umm...this sounds like me....hides in corner. Oh, I mean latibulate!

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah brain, you should really wait for my consent before putting your thoughts in my head!

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Note: this post originally had 100 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.