Answers to AMA Q&As in SubForum FAQ and posted at end of this thread
Hi there. My name is soulsings, the Community Mentor Leader of the 7cups online therapy subcommunity. I am thrilled to introduce an AMA [Ask Me Anything] form that can allow you to ask questions and get answers from Parvathy and other 7 cups online therapists. If anyone is already enrolled in therapy and has any subscription-related issues, please email support@7cups.com
This format gives you a Google Form so you can ask your questions and read the answers of selected questions that the therapist answers that I will post in the AMA subforum.The AMA is a way that can help you better understand how 7cups online therapy can help people cope with mental health issues that you also might experience in your life.
In your questions, please do not ask for advice or directions as the therapist cannot give people advice or options whose situation they do not know well.
Parvathy is a licensed therapist that provides online therapy services for 7 Cups. They can answer your questions about different mental health challenges in your life, but their primary area of expertise is Anxiety and Depression. See their bio at the end of this post!
Thanks for participating in this AMA. I look forward to your questions and the therapist's answers.
For the bio of Parvathy https://www.7cups.com/therapists/profiles/Parvathy-Venugopal-ParvathyVenugopalMSc/
CLOSED for February: do not post your questions in this thread.
AMA Q&As can also be found here organized by category https://www.7cups.com/forum/7CupsOnlineTherapy_157/FAQfrequentlyaskedquestionsabout7cupsOnlineTherapy_2181/
This is awesome!
How much does the online therapy cost?
Hi Kitten it costs $150 USD a month :)
Oh my God! It's really a big amount. I am unable to afford it as I am a jobless fellow 😔
@calmPond4563 if you have health insurance, check with them and see if they might cover whole or in part.
Thanks for doing this guys it's a really great idea, one question how will we see their answer to the question we submitted?
@SilenceisSolace selected answers will be posted here in this thread.
Please submit questions on the form.
Thank you!
My therapist wont respond. Not even an automated message.
@grayandblue I suggest you Submit a request in the Help Center.
Charlie
I am sorry you are having difficulties @grayandblue I will forward your message to the Director of Clinical Operations at 7 Cups, Lisa De Regt. Hope you will get a response soon.
@grayandblue
Hello there! We would love to look into this for you, please email support@7cups.com and we will ensure this issue has been resolved for you.
@soulsings
This is awesome!! Is there a fee to speak with a therapist on here?
@BipolarInWonderland the AMA is free.
7cups online Therapy is $150 USD per month.
To speak with a listener is free. You can even specify particulars of which listener you prefer to talk to https://www.7cups.com/BrowseListeners/
@soulsings
I am actually a listener. This is my member account. I rarely use this account. I use the forums using my listener account because I am always ont that account talking to people so that is the account I ended up being active on the forums with. I just wasn't sure if there was a fee to speak to a therapist or not. I actually have Medicaid & Medicare so if I do end up getting counseling I need to go somewhere that I can use my insurance because I can't afford the $150. Is the $150 one session a week or what? Do you know? Maybe I can save up & swing the $150 but not right now that is for sure. I wish I could though!
Hello good people,I have a very big problem with people spreading bad rumours about me. Worst off all,when I confront them it becomes like I'm the wrong person .So how do I over come this problem
@courteousSpruce6409 hi thank you for your interest in the AMA. Unfortunately, the therapist cannot give advice or directions. Thank you for participating.
@courteousSpruce6409 If you Google how to stop rumours you'll find a lot of advice about this problem. Here's just one step-by-step guide I found: How to Stop Rumors: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
Charlie
@courteousSpruce6409
Have you spoken with a listener about this?
@courteousSpruce6409
I was just thinking that it mgiht help you more to speak to a listener. If it were me it would make me feel better anyway. Everyone is different though. :)
Member: What are some harmful effects of stopping your mood stabilizers for bipolar cold turkey?
Therapist Parvathy reply:
Quitting your medicine cold turkey can be very dangerous. When you take mood stabilizers (or any medicine) for a period of time, your body adjusts to the presence of the drug. Stopping your medicines abruptly may develop an imbalance in your body which can lead to dangerous withdrawal symptoms. You may also experience a 'rebound' of your bipolar symptoms and find them returning with more severity. It is very important to consult your doctor before making any changes to your medicines. For more info and bio of Parvathy see here
@soulsings Disappointing to see that this question was not answered. The question was: What are some harmful effects…?
The reply mentions "dangerous withdrawal symptoms" but doesn't say what they are or provide a reference. I've not been able to confirm this advice. For example, this summary of 91 research papers on withdrawal from mood stabilizers doesn't mention anything dangerous, as far as I can see: Withdrawal from Mood Stabilizers
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in California confirms that:
With mood stabilizers, the withdrawal effects are generally mild; the greatest risk with stopping these drugs is the return of symptoms.
Also worth noting that mood stabilizers are not all the same. Some of those 91 research papers mention rebound mania mainly from lithium, but I didn't see any evidence of serious rebound from lamotrigine, for example. And those papers don't seem to mention rebound depression (which could be more dangerous) at all.
Overall, research does not seem to show that withdrawal from mood stabilizers is harmful, as long as returning symptoms of bipolar disorder, particularly mania, can be managed in some other way.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie thank you for your concern. The therapist did answer the question, albeit in a manner which may disagree with your beliefs.
If someone asks me that question, I would tell them to talk to their prescriber before making any changes.
In my own sphere of friends, I have seen people get hospitalized multiple times from the effects of going off meds cold turkey.
If you feel otherwise, you are free to try on your own, if you care to, but anyone advocating people go off meds cold turkey, without being a doctor or prescriber, is doing a disservice to others. As listener we are told to refrain from talking about medications.
Member: My depression has reached a really high level and I think i suffer from some others disorder alongside with depression but I can’t pinpoint which and it’s ruining me. I have read books and books and different online sites and so much more but it has only made a doubt a possibility. So what do you suggest I should try?
Self-diagnosis can be risky. There is always a danger of misdiagnosing the health condition. Even though books and internet resources do have a lot of information, a formal diagnosis should always be made by a qualified mental health professional. A mental health professional goes through years of training in the field and can thus provide effective help. You can use the screening tests or the information as aids to formal therapy. So, if you feel that you are suffering from mental health concerns, do speak to a qualified mental health professional. Want more info on Parvathy, click here for bio.