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May 08 2021

Online Counseling: Beyond the Pros & Cons

Anxiety

Although multiple studies have found the outcomes of online vs. face-to-face therapy to be extremely similar, there are certainly some differences. The main “con” for online counseling is the human factor. For some people, especially of generations that didn’t necessarily grow up communicating via FaceTime and other digital methods, the concept of e-therapy may seem strange. It may be difficult to imagine opening up and trusting an individual who has never been met face-to-face. Even though scientists have been studying various forms of telemedicine for over a decade—including demonstrating it to be effective—for some people, not having conversations face-to-face may be a dealbreaker.

However, it’s impossible to know if e-therapy won’t work unless it’s tried; many skeptical people have been pleasantly surprised, especially because the quality of online communication has grown so much. It’s also important to look beyond possible doubts at the sheer list of “pros” that come with accessing therapy online. The most important argument for online counseling is simple accessibility.

Many Americans live in areas that are underserved by mental health professionals; the current mental health and addiction crisis that our country is experiencing is a powerful reminder that many people simply don’t have easy access to therapy and support that could be life-changing or even life-saving. Finding a local counselor who specializes in whatever area the client needs is difficult on its own, let alone finding a therapist with immediate availability who is also within a reasonable geographic distance. For the 60 million Americans who live in rural areas, this problem is compounded by the fact that there is a shortage of basic primary care medicine in these areas, let alone mental health care. For these communities, simply being able to access care from home instead of having to travel dozens of miles may mean the difference between therapy being viable or not.

When considering the pros and cons of online therapy, it’s also important to recognize how crucial therapy can be (in any form), and that it’s impossible to quantify the precise increase in quality of life. Simply put, the reduction in barriers to access provided by online counseling make the adjustment to delivery method worth it for anyone who is struggling. For example, an exhausted mother with an infant who is seeking help for depression may find herself having to choose between extra sleep or a time-consuming drive to the therapist’s office that also requires lining up childcare. In this situation, the barriers to traditional care could seem overwhelming. When e-therapy is considered as an alternative, the mother may finally be able to get the help she needs, helping raise her personal quality of life as well as her skill and attentiveness as a parent.

When therapy is used as a method of accountability for making big life changes—such as getting sober—the “pros” of getting any kind of help at all again outweigh whatever personal adjustments are required by the change in delivery between e-therapy and office-based care. For example, the opiate addiction problem has significant overlap with rural and underserved communities. Studies have found time and time again that getting professional support makes a big difference in whether someone manages to stay sober or not over the long term. Many people in rural or underserved areas who are in recovery may only have a local AA meeting as a source of support—and that method doesn’t work for everyone. Part of this is because addiction is often a means of self-medicating a diagnosis like depression or anxiety. These conditions need to be dealt with on their own with a qualified therapist to stop the symptoms that a recovering addict was attempting to control with drugs or alcohol. So when deciding whether online therapy is worth it, these factors are incredibly important for anyone struggling with substance abuse.

Many more situations go beyond the basic arguments of whether or not online counseling is a worthwhile alternative to old-fashioned therapy in an office. The concept may seem strange, and some traditionalists may ultimately be uncomfortable with it, but for the vast majority of people, removing the commonly occurring barriers to treatment for mental health conditions is ultimately reason enough to give it a try.

 

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Written by Ares Minks · Categorized: Uncategorized · Tagged: best online counseling, cheap online counseling, hoarding counseling, internet counseling, online counseling, remote counseling

Apr 05 2018

Hoarding Disorder


There has been a lot of media attention lately on the condition known as hoarding. We all know someone that we may describe as a “pack rat” and they do not like to throw things away or feel like the items may be necessary later on, hoarding is something different. While a person who, for example, grew up in the depression era may refuse to throw things away because they learned growing up that every little thing may literally be needed later on or could be sold for money, hoarding is an anxiety based condition that will not allow a person to throw away things, and there will not be any logical reason for it. This is the hoarding disorder definition. The problem appears to be very minor but it could take a serious form.

Hoarding is an anxiety-based condition where the person has, “persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value” and will keep doing so despite any risk or consequence, for example, losing touch with friends and family members due to hoarding behavior, or losing property due to the poor condition of their homes and yards. You must look into hoarding disorder causes. Consult with the online counselor if necessary.

The person has an irrational fear of parting with this stuff, and will keep it no matter what it is, even if it is garbage, or obviously unsanitary. It is often related to, or coincides with, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, which was likely how the anxiety disorder originated.

A person who has a hoarding disorder is often easier to see than others, as there is so much physical evidence of their condition.

Hoarding disorder symptoms often include:

• Inability to throw away possessions
• Severe anxiety when attempting to discard items
• Great difficulty categorizing or organizing possessions
• Indecision about what to keep or where to put things
• Distress, such as feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed by possessions
• Suspicion of other people touching items
• Obsessive thoughts and actions: fear of running out of an item or of needing it in the future; checking the   trash for accidentally discarded objects
• Functional impairments, including loss of living space, social isolation, family or marital discord, financial difficulties, health hazards

Hoarding is an anxiety based disorder that responds well to treatment. A common issue for people suffering from this disorder is aiding them to see that they need help, and to seek it. Most anxiety-based disorders are treatable, it’s just hard to start the process, as the thing that reduces the anxiety is the hoarding, which is the problem. It may then spiral out of control as the more hoarding eases the anxiety, the more the anxiety is dependent on the hoarding behavior, and the person dependent on it as well. Please consult with the experts to learn more about hoarding disorder symptoms.

Hoarding can be a sad and dangerous condition. It can break up families, ruin homes and property, and in extreme cases put lives at risk. Help is available and out there. Taking the first step may be the hardest, which is reaching out for help, but with that call comes help and hope. Mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and therapists are all qualified to treat someone with anxiety disorders, such as hoarding.

Talk to an expert today! Start a trial of online counseling.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Written by OldeTherapyPro · Categorized: Uncategorized · Tagged: compulsive hoarding disorder, hoarding anxiety, hoarding behavior, hoarding counseling, hoarding depression, Hoarding Disorder, hoarding disorder causes, hoarding disorder symptoms, hoarding symptoms, mental hoarding disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder hoarding, obsessive hoarding, ocd hoarding, ocd hoarding disorder, ocd hoarding symptoms

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