Psychotherapist Éric* has observed a drop in the frequency of visits to his office for several months. In the twelve years he has been working as a psychotherapist, the fifty-year-old has seen consultations become less frequent and patients more tense when taking out their wallets.
Some agreed to open their accounts to us (salaries, income, expenses) for a series of testimonies. The fault, salt and pepper, is the price of living in France, says Éric. The French are worried about their purchasing power, he says. They want to know if they can afford to live in the country they grew up in. They are worried that they can’t afford to buy the things they want. They fear that they will lose the people they love if they live in a more expensive city. They worry that they may not be able to afford to eat the food they want to eat. They feel that they cannot afford to drink the water they need to stay hydrated.