Page 114 - Men’s Health - USA (December 2019)

19 WHAT IF MY 22, 23

EMPLOYER FINDS OUT?
THEY WON’T. That’s because
there are a series of firewalls,
called HIPAA, which is short THERAPY IS A ...
for the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability rich-person thing OR white-person thing.
Act. HIPAA is a federal law that “PSYCHOTHERAPY MAY HAVE BEEN developed by Sigmund Freud for wealthy
forbids your insurance com-
pany (and your mental-health- white women,” says Monnica T. Williams, Ph.D., but it doesn’t have to stay
care provider) to disclose any that way. It’s true there are hurdles: Research has shown that people prefer
information about you to third therapists of their own race or ethnicity, and the shortage of mental-health
parties without your explicit professionals of color is acute, she notes. “Yet there are a lot more social workers
consent. (This includes the [L.C.S.W.’s] of color than psychologists and psychiatrists.” So you might find a
diagnosis your therapist assigns bigger pool to choose from by looking for someone with an L.C.S.W.
you for purposes of reim-
bursement.) So in short, your
PERSON 25
employer will not find out about
you seeing a therapist unless 24 I DON’T HAVE
you choose to alert them. THERAPY TIME to go sit
somewhere
IS A
and talk about
20 WHAT IF MY YOUNG- my problems.
THING.
FRIENDS FIND OUT?
NAH. They just WHEN YOU consider the AVERAGE AMERICAN spends...
YEAH, what if your friends find talk about it
out? If they’re good friends, they’ll more. Millen-
be supportive. If they’re assholes nials may be 4 47 3 2 3 2
about it, get new friends. more likely HRS MINS HRS MINS HRS MINS
to talk about ON ON ON
mental illness Facebook Instagram Snapchat
WHAT IF MY SPOUSE and treatment
openly than
21 FINDS OUT AND THINKS older genera- every week, then 50 MINUTES of
IT’S ABOUT THEM? tions, but it’s therapy a week doesn’t sound so daunting.

“MOST OF THE TIME, men more common
come in because their spouse is for those in the
making them do it,” says Morin. 50-and-older 26
“If the spouse finds out and the demographic
men haven’t told them, what I’ve to receive
mostly seen is that they’re proud. treatment for I went once. It didn’t take.
It makes you a better husband.” mental-health
issues. SEE NO. 16.

I WANTED TO SLEEP 28 29 I have so many
WITH MY THERAPIST, IT other DAY-TO-DAY
27 GOT WEIRD, AND I QUIT. The only thing worse than going HASSLES in my life
to therapy is hanging out in that need my immediate
OH, HEY. THIS IS JOSHUA. Yeah, this attention; therapy doesn’t
happened with me. Think about it: You’re in the therapist’s waiting room. make the cut.
a small room with someone. Your secrets are
coming out like you’re in an emotional colander SEEING THE FACES of your fellow patients MAYBE NOT right now. But as
and still they accept you. In fact, they’re sym- as they scurry to and from the office is pret- Dr. Ramsey says: “I would argue
pathetic. Of course intimacy is going to flower, ty awful, especially for couples counseling.
and it makes sense why you might misidentify But instead of seeing the suffering of you the most expensive thing is
it as romantic. Sometimes you have to pick and your fellow human beings as shameful, not to get treatment. A good
someone you’re not attracted to. Sometimes psychotherapist will make you
you write about it in an article for Men’s Health, you might take that moment to feel comfort- a more successful, grounded,
then send the clipping to your therapist and see ed that not only are you not alone in needing and wealthy individual, howev-
how it all shakes out. help but you’re not alone in getting it. er you define wealth.”

116 December 2019 / MEN’S HEALTH