Lindsey H.
Game changer
I will start with the negative (and there is one, despite this being a 5* review): the fact that a paid-for service such as this one is necessity in the modern world is sad. Really sad. The basics of humanity are understanding and empathy for one another, and we seem to have lost sight of that. BetterHelp seem to have a highly variable (flexible) pricing structure, which I benefitted from to a degree, but it will still be totally inaccessible to those on very low incomes, who really, really need to be able to access something like this. A scheme whereby some profits go into funding totally free access for those who really need it would be great. That out of the way, I would like to say that BetterHelp has been in my life for about a week, and my life has changed for the better. I've struggled to access mental health support for years, and occasionally reach a crisis point, where I feel like I'm drowning, though I am generally high functioning. I was in such a crisis, scouring the internet to find someone who could see me RIGHT NOW, and I found BetterHelp. Within minutes, I was matched with a counsellor, and within hours we had begun talking through my current problems. I haven't scheduled an appointment yet, when you can spend a more traditional block of time hashing out problems either over Skype or via message, but send and receive one or two very long and in depth messages each day. Each one gives me a calm, impartial perspective which helps me to step outside of crises and look beyond the pain I'm in right now. It places the pain in context. Having had mixed experiences of talking therapy, I became concerned after a few days that I was messaging my counsellor too much (almost felt like I was expecting too much for my money) - she responded calmly and reassured me that she has all the time in the world to keep going over my problems, until I no longer feel I need to. for what it's costing me per week, I feel it's good value. It's not cheap, but the way it is helping me cope and function in my life, it's good value. Although there's something to be said for placing all your worries into a one hour slot per week, and leaving them there, quite often life doesn't work that way. When life isn't handing you lemons calmly, but pelting them at you aggressively and at random intervals, having support on tap is a revelation. If you feel lost, and you can spare money for an investment in yourself - do it. It will be more use than a new car, a new TV, or even a holiday. And if it doesn't work for you, you can always cancel.