How are mental illnesses treated in your country?
While most mental health patients are treated with antidepressants, alternative approaches are gaining traction for the one-third who don’t respond to these medications. In Switzerland, more are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Are there similar approaches where you live?
Or are there other alternative treatment methods in your region to treat depression and other mental health diseases?
Do you have any personal experiences with this issue that you would like to share but not in a public forum? Write to me at [email protected]
Share your knowledge with us below!
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I once consulted a swiss psychiatrist here together with my teenage son over several months. I find that the medically trained person appeared aloof and disengaged and sometimes even offer unprofessional and unsympathetic advice. At one point he even suggested to me and my wife (couples therapy) that perhaps it is good that we divorce.____Back in Asia, where people are super busy earning money to pay for their livelihood, mental health is less prominent although there are outliers. People don't have time to be mentally ill. For those who have, many do not seek treatment because the reason just stated (money). For those who can, it is like a luxury car, only a few can afford it and when they do, they say it is very good.
Hello Everyone,
I spend one year in Switzerland there medical treatment is very costly and medicine is also very expensive.
In my Pakistan every kind of treatment in many hospital is free, and Cancer is too much expensive in every country but in Pakistan you can come in Shoukat Khanam Hospital (Ex.Prime Minister Imran Khan's Hospital ) is completely free for everyone.
Be very honest with everyone and be very happy always .
Thanks for your contribution, how are mental illnesses treated in Pakistan? Anything different besides the price tag
I once read there are more psychiatrists per head of population in Switzerland than anywhere else in the world. However, mention you have mental problems at work, or too much stress or burnout, often results in very little sympathy from employers. In fact, if you take a break to deal with it, getting a job afterwards, having to explain any gaps in your resume at an interview, can be problematic too.
Thanks for your reply. My colleague covered burnout and Switzerland in 2019, but the piece is still relevant if you'd like to read it: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/mental-health_why-the-world-is-so-divided-on-burnout/45023452
How can you claim that the University Hospital ofGeneva is the only one to administer psychedelic treatments when there are over 80 licensed psychedelic therapists (psychiatrists and doctors and psychotherapist and psychologists working in delegation) licensed to do so. They treat about 600 patient a year by now.
The same goes for the University of Basel, where alcoholics are treated with LSD, or at the University of Zürich where depression is treated with pharmahuasca (a version of ayahuasca where you don't vomit).
This si so bald researched I just can't believe it!
Susanne Seiler
Editor gaiamedia goodnews
Dear Susanne, many thanks for your comment. The piece doesn't say HUG is the only place to offer psychedelic treatments. One of the patients quoted in the piece followed his treatment in a private practice, while the other did so at a clinic. In fact, we mention that 686 exceptional authorisations were delivered in 2024, and that a handful of private clinics, the university clinics of Bern, Zurich, Fribourg along with the HUG, offer the treatment. We will take note of Basel University clinic and amend if necessary. Best, Aylin
In New York, United States there is almost no talk therapy. The psychiatrist threatens you to take the most dangerous diabetes-causing antipsychotic. There are privately owned hospital chains such as Northwell and state owned such as Pilgrim (many gang members) which electrocutes (ECT) people, damaging memory.
Magnetic TMS and ultrasound are rare. At Zucker Hillside the head nurse shut off the phone when I was reporting a 19 year old had been raped and they stabbed me with a haldol needle to the neck. We need a referendum like the Swiss had on respecting bodily autonomy in the half of states that have ballot initiatives.
Thank you for sharing your experience. There are several helplines available if you need support, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in the U.S. on 1-800-950-6264. In Switzerland, patients can contact Pro Mente Sana, the national foundation that supports the needs and rights of people affected by mental illnesses. They are on 0848 800 858.
I also want to mention a study titled "Psychotherapy Trends in the United States", which was published in the American journal of psychiatry a couple of days ago. It found that there was some change in the treatment of mental illness in the US between 2018 and 2021, and it's quite interesting.____Here are key findings for adults receiving outpatient mental health care:__- Psychotherapy alone increased from 11.5% to 15.4%,__- Psychotherapy and psychotropic medication together increased 20.8% to 22.5%,__- Use of psychotropic medication alone declined from 67.6% to 62.1% (still quite high!).__ __More generally, spending on psychotherapy increased from $30.8 to $51 billion between 2018 and 2021, and nearly 22 million American adults (or 8.5% of the population) received psychotherapy in 2021, compared to 16.5 million (6.5%) in 2018.__ __But access remains to psychotherapy remains unequal and was primarily observed among:__- Adults experiencing mild to moderate distress__- Females__- Younger individuals__- Individuals with college degrees, higher incomes and private insurance____Here is the link to the study: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20240492
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