Has anyone tried online therapy sites? What was your experience?

@lsittll Hi Laurie. I second Ginger. She is an amazing resource. I think you will be surprised by the benefits of journaling. I learned great mental health tips while attending Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehab Center and have really fallen back on them. Here's a bit of what I learned.

Writing down feelings is a great way to free your mind and move thoughts to paper. Take only 5 - 15 minutes each day to list anxiety, depression, stress (midday works best, not first thing in the morning or before bed). From there, you may find it helpful to make an "Emotional Distress List". I have found this very useful. Make two columns, one of what you CAN control and one of what you CAN NOT control. It's important to see what you can't control so you move on and work on the things you can.

Also, you may find the 5 P's helpful:
- Pause
- Process
- Patience
- Perspective
- Plan

Have you made a list of POSITIVES? Seeing the good is powerful too. Write down the good things in your life, and about yourself. Find small tokens of joy each day. In my darkest of times I started a gratitude journal. I needed to find good and pull myself up even in the smallest ways. I continue my daily gratitude and some days it simply may say, "the sun was shining".

Better health.com is substantially less expensive than most, e.g. $40 per session versus $200-$300 in person. However, they don’t offer psychiatric level MD, able to prescribe medications.

Hello @stress
I took notice on the sondermind.com site that there are psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners that you can meet with. I do not know the our-of-pocket fees for sondermind.com. If you do have insurance it accepts numerous plans including HMOs.

@lsittll

Hello @gingerw
Ginger
This is something I will surely try. I am writing down the things to include in what I write. I can't believe this helps so much but I'll probably surprise myself with what you tell me.

Right now I could use a way to vent my feelings as crying isn't the best way.

Laurie

@lsittll Good for you! Remember, there is no judging, no need to read over what you wrote, no need to watch grammar. Just get things "off your chest". Okay, that dated me, right!? My dad kept a journal most of his life, and I have done the same. There can be so many insights. I like to write things out longhand, some people like to use a computer or tablet. Whatever method you choose, promise yourself to do it. Some do it everyday, or once a week. you will find your pace that works for you.

I'm proud of you for taking this scary step, and trusting in the process, you may find yourself resting easier tonight.
Ginger

@stress
there is another site that exists. It provides both counseling and many types of medication counseling. The site is cerebral.
Insurance is not accepted. It has a first month special of $7 per week and is $65 monthly thereafter.

@lsittll

I have been avidly searching the internet for sites that do medication management. I have seen many sites.
There are online therapy.com, Regain, Faithful Counseling (Christian Counseling), Calmery, Pride counseling,. Talk SPACE, LGPT which is 27X7, and Teen Counseling (for your children). Some of them do counseling for couples. It is rare that a site has persons who do medication management that prescribe controlled substances. Cerebral is is the only site that will prescribe controlled substances. But it will only do so in certain state,