LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new study by WalletHub names Nevada as the second most stressed-out state in the country, second only to Louisiana.
The study looked at four key factors: work, money, family, and health.
There were two standouts when researchers were looking at Nevada: it has the highest divorce rate in the country and it ranks very low on psychologists per capita.
Just like it can be difficult to find physicians in your healthcare network, that same challenge exists for finding a therapist in your network.
Tiffany Mehling is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Persist Psych, a psychotherapy practice in Las Vegas. She says health insurance reimbursement rates in our region are low compared to other parts of the country, and that leaves little to no incentive for therapists to be in-network for insurance companies.
Still, she says it’s worth putting in that effort to find a therapist for your own mental health.
“Don’t be discouraged if you start calling therapists and you’re not getting a callback or people are full. Stick with it, there are providers in town that have openings and so be persistent, reach out, ask for a referral. If someone says I’m sorry, I don’t have any openings or I’m sorry, I’m not in your network, don’t hang up right away. Say, do you know someone who is?” Mehling added.
Mehling also provided some tips on coping with stress. She says to avoid pushing your own emotions away because that can make it worse. She says you have to “feel it to heal it.” She says to let your negative emotions come and go like the weather, rather than putting a magnifying glass on them.
Then, Mehling says to figure out the root of your stress and find things in your environment that you have the power to change.
Mehling went on to say that finding the right therapist is like finding the right pair of jeans, everyone has a different style. She says it’s worth it when you find someone you click with because it helps you open up and find the right coping skills.
