First time in therapy, going out of my mind using Betterhelp

I would love some help with this, I need some perspective, and quick. I've started therapy with Betterhelp. I've never done any sort of therapy before, I took the step a few days ago to sign up for online help because going into a physical building / office would just be too intimidating.

I was assigned my therapist and we've just gotten started, I was asked what I want to work on and in response I wrote a somewhat lengthy message that lays out the main issues I am trying to figure out. Yes it was quite a bit of info, but it is less than 2 pages of content on a word document and covers a lot of history with 3 things I want to work on at the end. I have had a messed up childhood and adulthood with themes of repeated abuse and mental illness, and so there is some pretty dark crap I'm dealing with, no crimes committed and nothing that I would think would qualify as needing to be reported, so I don't know what's up. It was a big step for me, I've never told anyone most of what I shared. So, now that it's been a day and a half and I have heard nothing after putting all of this very personal info out there, I'm totally losing my mind. I have read that most Betterhelp therapists typically respond in 4-10 hour windows. Is the stuff in my head so bad that I just scared away my therapist?! Is there a chance I might be locked up in a psych ward for what I shared? Is this normal or did I do something wrong?

I don't think you did anything wrong. I think one just can't be certain of finding a decent therapist on BetterHelp. I'd be going out of my mind if I made a big disclosure and didn't hear back, too. That's rough. Know that this person's reaction - whatever it is - isn't about you.

Good luck with everything.

Maybe the person is writing a thoughtful reply to your post. It may take some time to address all the things you shared.

Thanks guys. I sent another message, this one concise and very honest about how I'm feeling with not hearing back. Hopefully I hear back before the weekend. Being bipolar with anxiety disorders is hard enough as it is never mind adding to it.

Thanks for the support. 8 hours ago I wrote them explaining what I'm going through enduring this silent period and asked if they are ignoring me and if I should find a different therapist. No response yet but here's hoping I hear back soon.

Ok it's been over 48 hours and I'm feeling a little grrrr... about the whole thing. I just ended it with that counselor and applied for another. I'll give this another shot, and if if I strike out again then therapy probably isn't meant to be.

Gosh, that sounds hard!

One thing that I like about doing therapy in person is the structure makes me feel safe, in that I see my therapist every week and it's very predictable! I think it's a bit cruel your therapist never answered- though perhaps they had fallen ill or something?

Maybe you could mention what happened to your new therapist so your therapist knows how important it is to be conscientious?

I would imagine therapist's who use texting apps are not really equipped to do in depth trauma work

I agree with jDNA. I don't know much about online therapy but this kind of thing seems really wrong to do to a person who is seeking help.
I am so sorry this happened to you.
I hope you won't take this as a sign that therapy is not meant to be.
Maybe it's a sign that, as difficult as it might feel, you should seek out in person therapy.
Or, at the very least, maybe Skype if in person just seems impossible.

I think it's irresponsible and insane to offer therapy over the internet. It's already such a dubious practice when done in person. I mean, is the therapist just going to send an email with some sort of canned advice?

They should be very clear about response times. I don't see this covered in their FAQ.

Therapists are supposed to be licensed in the state in which they are practicing. Online therapy violates this and I never understood why they don't get shut down. Bad things already happen in some face to face therapy but it is at least regulated.

When I tried talkspace, they assigned me a therapist in my state, and I think that is standard practice. And some states don't have restrictions on teletherapy, so those therapists theoretically can talk to anyone.

But, yeah, online therapy gives me some concerns. It also didn't seem really designed to deal with trauma or crises.

In the same time this type of therapy might be helpful for some people in situations where in person therapy is not possible for some reasons. Not everyone has got access to loads of therapist IRL.

This does not mean that this shouldn't be regulated in some ways and also online therapy is different from real life one. Especially email therapy. I'm not sure how that works. Regardless, if it's done professionally, it is way better than continuing to stay with the pain and not getting any help.

Did you hear anything back yet, from either T? I don't know anything about online therapy but they should at least give you the courtesy to respond!! Hugs.

This is horrible. This type of experience could discourage the person to ever seek help in the future, whether online or face-to-face.

Unfortunately, online therapy at this time is not well-regulated and so there is little accountability when things like that happen. It's a disgrace because we have Internet for a few decades now and it's long overdue to organize and regulate this modality because it has a big potential to help many people who otherwise would never set a foot in a therapist's office. At this point, if I were to get online therapy I'd prefer to deal with a solo practitioner than a big company like BetterHelp because in that case you can at least verify their license number and check if they are allowed to practice in your state. There is a much better chance that you can hold an individual practitioner accountable than a big company.

What you need to know when seek therapy online is that many states do not allow therapists from another states to work with the residents of their state. Also, be aware that those who practice online are under the same obligation to follow the laws and the ethical code of their profession as those who practice face-to-face. When you deal with a solo-practitioner you can contact their licensing board to check what regulations they have regarding online therapy and to see if the therapist you are considering is following those.

Hi Unplugged,
I'm the founder of BetterHelp - thanks for trying it out. I'm not sure where this stands now or if you still face any issues. If there's anything I can help with, please let me know!
Thanks,
Alon