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[–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

and they have better access to healthcare than Americans,

Totally inaccurate for mental healthcare. No insurance covers psychology or counseling. Psychiatry is covered to a degree but is a check and pills which, alone, is not helpful in most cases.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Access is about more than billing.

    In the US you need to wait multiple months to see a specialist, about 9 where i live as a new patient, and/or pay massively out of pocket for a private specialist ( $300-1000 per session).

    Your other option is to say you're thinking of killing yourself, but this is a direct route to involuntary care which red-flags you and gets your guns confiscated with virtually no hope of having your rights restored, as well as a record that gets in the way of getting a new job, housing, etc.

    So, if you're the average depressed person, have zero friends and have non-zero guns, you're kind of on an island.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    We have long waits her, too, generally. It's also still quite expensive here. If you don't speak fluent japanese, also be prepared to spend a lot (my therapy was the same as my monthly rent, over 100k yen), but that's a non-issue for most people in Japan

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