Healing Mental Illness With the Internet

Summary

The article discusses the use of online resources as a means of mental health support and treatment due to the inadequacies of traditional healthcare systems in providing affordable and accessible mental health services.

Abstract

The prevalence of mental health issues in America is significant, with 1 in 5 Americans experiencing mental health problems annually, yet the healthcare system often fails to provide adequate coverage, leading to high out-of-pocket costs and a lack of treatment for many. In response, individuals are increasingly turning to the internet for support, forming communities on platforms like Reddit and Medium, where they can share experiences, find information, and receive peer support. Online therapy services like Talkspace are also emerging to offer more affordable options for therapy, though these digital solutions are not without their risks, including potential misdiagnosis and cyberbullying. Despite these challenges, the internet is becoming a critical space for reducing stigma and fostering connections among those affected by mental illness.

Opinions

The author suggests that the internet provides a valuable alternative for those who cannot access or afford traditional mental health care.
Online communities are seen as supportive environments where individuals can find understanding and shared experiences, particularly for those who may feel isolated or stigmatized.
The anonymity of online forums is appreciated as it allows individuals to share and discuss sensitive topics without fear of judgment or repercussions in their personal lives.
There is a recognition that while online resources are beneficial, they cannot fully replace professional mental health treatment.
The article implies that the rise of digital mental health services indicates a gap in the current healthcare system that urgently needs to be addressed.
The author expresses optimism that the growing online discourse around mental health could lead to reduced stigma and eventual policy changes.

Finding support online when affordable healthcare has failed us

1 in 5 Americans experiences a mental health problem in any given year, according to the National Institute for Mental Health. By comparison, 1 in 10 people in our country has diabetes.

Mental illness is pandemic, but one that exists mainly in the shadows of our national conversation. Our last big piece of mental health legislation in America was in 2009. It was an update to The Mental Health Parity Act that was launched into law way back in 1996. The new Act broadened protections for people with substance abuse disorders. It also added language to ensure that any insurance plan providing medical or surgical benefits must match those same rules for mental health treatment. In other words, in the eyes of insurers, mental health should be treated like any other medical problem or surgery.

But even with this big push for parity, one spearheaded by major mental health advocacy groups, mental healthcare is still not covered in a substantial way for many Americans. In 2015, behavioral care treatment was four to six times more likely to be provided out-of-network than other medical care, according to a Milliman study. This means high out-of-pocket costs for most people.

On average, individual talk therapy sessions cost between $75–300. Treatment can last one session, or run the course of several months or even years, so it’s no wonder that many people find themselves choosing to pay rent or buy groceries instead of receive therapy. In fact, a whopping 56% of people forego the mental health treatment they need to get better.

56% of people don’t get the mental health treatment they need, according to Mental Health America.

In response to unaffordable treatment, many mental illness survivors turn to the internet for guidance, community, and diagnoses. They MacGyver a patchwork treatment plan with a mix of online forums, personal essays written by other survivors, and free content offered by clinical psychologists.

Reddit is one place where mental health communities thrive. Subreddits like r/cPTSD and r/BPD provide generally supportive places for people with specific conditions to find their tribe. In these forums, survivors open up about their symptoms, post about their daily struggles, and excitedly share their personal wins and bright moments. Threads include topics like “I finally went NC [no contact] with my abuser” and “How far into your relationship did you bring up your trauma history?” The comments get straight to the heart of the human side of mental illness, the between-the-lines realities often overlooked by more medically minded online resources like WebMD.

For me, I spent a few months as an avid “lurker” of r/cPTSD; a term for someone who reads others’ posts without contributing themselves. Lurking is a choice many take to digest information, feel inspired from others, and finally voice their pain. In my case, I gained my footing and learned more about my symptoms over time. With relief, I realized I wasn’t “crazy” and I wasn’t alone with my seemingly odd triggers and repressed memory flashbacks. In fact, hundreds of people felt the same way I did. I don’t know what I’d do without my online community today: That glowing phone screen is often my only company during nights of trauma-induced insomnia.

There’s also an anonymity to online peer support groups that lets us overcome stigma — especially before we’ve decided to tell family or friends about our mental health struggles. Reddit is one space full of aliases that give people a safe distance while they share raw stories about their deeply held traumas. Many people create “throwaway accounts” that they use to open up about their experiences with childhood sexual abuse, neglect, or relationship issues for the very first time. In this way, the internet becomes a kind of beta test for how people in our “real” lives will perceive us for sharing openly about mental health.

In this way, the internet becomes a kind of beta test for how people in our “real” lives will perceive us for sharing openly about mental health.

Medium is also a burgeoning space for people to share their stories. Trailblazers like Shannon Ashley and Larry Smith have posted brave, candid essays about their personal journeys with conditions like depression and PTSD. The platform now offers hundreds of publications with mental health subjects, ranging from stress to anxiety and more. Survivors also turn to the expert views of bloggers like Pete Walker and Dr. Jonice Webb, clinical psychologists who have gained an almost cult-like following in some online circles. These professionals have moved to digital content curation — creating video series, eBooks, and email newsletters—to help people understand and find generalized treatment plans for inflictions like childhood abuse and neglect.

Adapting to the need for affordable and accessible help, Talkspace and other video therapy chat apps are rapidly filling a gap by breaking into the digitized mental healthcare market. These apps allow people to pay for talk therapy using sliding scale plans. On one end, weekly video sessions and messaging plans come at more expensive rates, while “text message therapy” allows users to text a therapist at a cheaper monthly pay point. The majority of users of Talkspace are millennials, and since 2016 there have been spikes in signups among women, Muslims, Jewish, and LGBT people.

Online resources and communities are no match for genuine mental health treatment plans. The internet opens up the possibility of a misdiagnosis, and even the opportunity for harassment and bullying, which can worsen symptoms in some people. But even so, the message resonates clearly: Stigma around mental health may be slowly lifting, through the work of brave individuals connecting with each other online. As is the triumphant case with other grassroots movements, we may eventually see our policies follow suit.