Does everyone in the West have a psychologist/therapist?

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At least that's the impression I perceive from my long time here and on other boards, every time whenever I see one from a western country complains about relationship problems, money problems...life problems, they mention of a 'therapist'. There seem to be a therapist for every aspect of life there.

I've never seen anyone from the East talking about seeing a therapists/psychologist, it doesn't seem to be a common practice....generally it's reserved for extreme mental issues rather than life problems.

Why 'therapists' are so a big thing in the West?

They seem to have largely taken on the job priests used to do.

I don’t really understand it much, either. I only think it may have something to do with how useful declaring you mentally defective is to invalidate you.

I don't.

Psychology seems to be the new religion, in the absence of traditional religions, I am not exactly sure why. There's probably many layers to this question.

no, it seems rather unrealistic, but a good make-belief, in a §§-way
ex: https://books.google.fr/books?id=LYvOnr ... 22&f=false

it only makes sense when you think about what religion is. yes, it's a story about how the world came to be, which has been replaced by science.
but it's also a guidebook for life. - thou shalt not aleep with thy best friend's girlfriend is not bad advice for life!
in lieu of advice like this, someone with a "scientific" background- a psychologist - has to be telling people what (not) to do to be a decent human now.
religion is also community and sports. think of yoga as a religious practice, but also sunday as a day where the whole village meets up, listens to inspiring stories and has the opportunity to discuss issues of concern for the whole community.

It's more embarrassing than that. The new religious faith on the field is progressive politics if anything. Therapists and bawling your eyes out is just, I'm afraid, fashion. One that took hold during the 90s when everyone was encouraged by the nascent matriarchy to get in touch with their feminine side. It's ok to cry.

If the sites you frequent are aspie/autistic sites like this one then the population of the site is going to be skewed toward folks who have interacted with the mental health profession. We wouldn't be here if we hadn't heard of autism or aspergers.

You mean the 1890s ? - it's been a fashion since Freud, but has trickled down to the less affluent strata now, in a less time consuming, more practical way than psychoanalysis.
But it's hard to overestimate what a bug thing psychoanalysis used to be, and how fashionable and elitist. For the better part of the 20th century!

But you're also disregarding the value of professional advice. Statistics say it's quite helpful.

'drown your problems in alcohol, like a man' is a bit archaic, and turned out to rather generate more problems.

Most health plans don't cover mental health (or dental or vision), so, no.

That would be a nice dream to have. It would be nice to have a good therapist.

I went to therapy when I was a teen they were dreadful they didn't even mention Autism.

Tell the Rock he's not a real man to his face, I dare you, I double dare you.
The Rock opens up about depression.

Most people here in the land of "milk and honey" who need a therapist can't afford one..it's not like one quick trip to the doctor. You are locked in to 10-20 sessions that cost between $100-300 per session

Social isolation is a big problem in many western countries. The most common family structure in the west is the nuclear family. Parents and minor children. When the children reach adulthood they are expected to move out and start their own life, and many do. People often moce away from parents abd siblings, either for school or work or to pursue a dream of some sort...in the U.S. they could move thousands of miles away, and many western cultures don't easily facilitate the formation of close friends. Peopke are often preoccupied with their own lives or nuclear family or are too tired from work to meet with friends often, and friends from childhood or made in highschool or college have probably scattered around the country.

Mental health issues arise or fail to abate due to the sparse social support network, and therapists fill in the holes where a relative or close friend might be in another culture...or at least try to.

This.

Also, in Murika more people with money to pay a therapist see a “talk” therapist. People who are actually more severely mentally ill don’t have access to therapy because they’re too poor to pay. You have to be doing alright to be able to have a job that allows you to f*****g afford to see a therapist. It’s so f*****g backwards.

Whatever tough guy. Did you have a daddy who smacked you upside the head whenever you cried? Do you think it's better if people go on shooting sprees when they finally snap because can't take it anymore? The thing is macho-aggression isn't really a valid outlet for frustration in this modern world either. In capitalism, most people have to constantly suck it up and kiss some higher-ups ass. Yet you right-wingers constantly cheer-lead for this state of affairs. Post-industrial capitalism killed "masculinity", not feminism. Instead of actually making things with our hands we now provide services.