Mental Health Care: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Finding a therapist Finding a therapist who takes your insurance Finding a therapist who has an opening Finding a therapist that you are comfortable talking to.....it's a nightmare

PROTIP: when given a choice between siding with a medical professional who is sworn to save a human life at all costs versus an insurance company's CEO who is sworn to turn a profit at all costs, always, ALWAYS side with the medical professionals.

“As bad as our situation is now, it’s only getting worse” should be the tagline of this show.

I am autistic. I also have PTSD. I was like 13 when myself and my other autistic friends heard our friend screaming and ran in to check on her to find she was being sexually assaulted. All of us were literally shaking after we beat the crap out of the guy who did it. Several of us even went to the bathroom to throw up and we couldn't even talk amongst ourselves about that night. My therapist had the evil in his heart to suggest that people who are autistic aren't empathetic/can't be loyal. We wouldn't have PTSD if we weren't able to be concerned for my friend.

I was actively suicidal at the beginning of 2020 and got admitted into a psych ward. The first person I talked to when I arrived was the billing department. A day later I talked to a overworked psychiatrist for about 5 minutes who just asked what meds I was on. A week later I was discharged with no follow up plan just a hefty bill to pay off for the next 6 months. Since then I know not to talk about my sucidality with anyone, especially a health care professional. What they do for you ends up feeling more like a punishment than help.

To anyone who argued against Medicare-for-all on the grounds that "other countries have long wait times whereas we do not", I await your response. Our system is indefensible.

The real problem is that the number one antidepressant is financial security

As a mental health provider, I can't think of anything to add to this John. Great job. I take most insurances and am barely paying bills. It's rewarding, but exhausting work. Yes we need a lot of changes!

I think 80% of American horror stories are about the US healthcare.

"Doctors will spin the data and make things seem more serious than they are because they feel strongly that patients need that care." Think about what that man just said. He said, "We, a health insurance company, wouldn't pay for healthcare, and so doctors started lying to us to get people the care they need. And because the doctors lie, we, a health insurance company, are now using that as an excuse to continue to not pay for healthcare."

not to mention if you’re put into a psych ward for having a mental health emergency, it’s EXTREMELY traumatic. not only do they not treat you properly, but in my experience i was even harassed by other patients, particularly men.

"You're stuck waiting for care, and you can't. Get. It." That's it. That's the whole thing. I've had several bouts of depression where I've been on the phone in tears calling every psychiatrist/psychologist/counselor in my area that would take my insurance, come to find out that even if they ARE taking new patients, the first available appointment is weeks, sometimes, months later. And when you're in a crisis state, that can be devastating. I am SICK of insurance companies being able to practice medicine without medical licenses

Can we appreciate, for a second, how important this show actually is? This show has changed my far right dad's mind on a lot of shit. Including his views on Donald Chump, and the rest of the GOP, and the flaws in our country that needs repaired. Not only that, but how many of us would pay attention to these subjects if not for this show?

"This would have been a good idea... had we funded them properly." -America in a nutshell Also, the quote "this is truly the 'different look, same great taste' of America's failures" is pure gold.

I work in healthcare. These insurance companies and benefit managers are designed to operate this way. They exist to make money, not to provide you adequate care. The pharmaceutical and medical device companies share much of this blame with them. On the other hand, I’ve seen one therapist myself for several sessions and she was a nice lady, but utterly useless. We need more mental health care providers, but competent and effective ones.

I was once in a Psychiatric ER for about a month while in active psychosis. Just waiting for a bed. When you're stuck in a small room with nothing to do, no-one to talk to, and the walls are laughing at you (among other issues), it’s not fun. Especially when you're 12 and people refuse to believe that a 12 year old could have schizophrenia. I'm 20 now and doing better but it was hell for a while.

Thank you John, I’m a licensed psychologist in a rural setting and literally everything you talk about is facing the people that I treat. I wish I could take them all on, but it’s just not feasible. Also, to the insurance asshole, yeah, we do embellish, you’re right. Because if we tell the truth, even if that truth is severe, you still deny our claims!! If you viewed mental health care as the necessity that it is, we wouldn’t have to embellish!

I had my insurance company decide my chemotherapy "wasn't medically necessary" when I had cancer. Wound up getting it sorted out but it really pissed me, my family, and my doctors off.

I'm a therapist and I have to say, he really summed it up quite well. The only thing I would say is that the problems actually run quite a bit deeper than this. An entire hour could be dedicated to unpacking all of this but I appreciate that he covered this.

As a healthcare professional this is absolutely accurate. Therapist feel and see the need in the community, are burned out, underpaid, and are also simply human beings with their own lives and troubles. Mental health is a large part of the foundation for overall health. If you can not take care of those providing care everyone will suffer.