YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I don't want to get into it too much here but I'm currently broke with no health insurance. I've seen therapists over the years when I've had problems and it's helped me -- but I can't afford to see a therapist right now. I've been feeling like I could use some help recently. Beyond talking to friends and doing whatever mental gymnastics I have to do to walk out the door in the morning.

There has to be some options out there for people who can't afford therapy.

I would maybe call a university if there is one nearby and see if they have any free services going on or can give you a reference, some large employers offer anonymous services for free, you could try looking for a local support group, or online support groups... I will try and think of more options... maybe there are non-profits in your area that offer help. I know that when my family was low on money, we went to a local non-profit who helped with $ for groceries and bills. Maybe there are non-profits that help with or cover bills for mental health services. If you go to a church, it's possible they have funds set aside to help people with those things...

dystopika wrote:I've seen therapists over the years when I've had problems and it's helped me -- but I can't afford to see a therapist right now.

It sucks that when we need the most help, those are exactly the times when we can't afford to pay for that help. I don't have insurance either. I found a therapist through a non-profit organization near my house that had a "sliding scale" fee. So I don't have a lot of money at the moment, but I can still afford to go there.

Do you know if you qualify for any kind of government assistance? Are there any government-run mental health counseling centers where you live? If you belong to a church, I've heard that some pastors/clergy will do one-on-one counseling. Do you know what type(s) of psychotherapy you did with your former therapists? If so, someone in this forum could probably put you in touch with a good book that would guide you through that type of therapy. Amazon usually has used books for around $10. Self-help is a tall order for anyone, but it's better than nothing.

Call up your local mental health clinic, or whatever. Ask to speak to the billing department and ask them if they could see you on a charity basis (I know it sounds bad, but i had a serious health issue that was treated this way).. If they do , they will most likely require you to fill out financial statements, etc but you would be surprised.. AND DONT GIVE UP if one place turns you down, try another..

Please give it a try..

John

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A lot of this depends on where you live. In a big city there are lots of options: university studies, university pyschology/psychiatry student clinics, private therapy schools also have lower rates for students who are in supervised practicums, you could also contact therapists near you and tell them your story and see if they will see you for what you can pay. google mental health and the city you live in and see what comes up.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

T

I've had horrible experiences with mental health clinics and universities, maybe yours will be better. I didn't want to take drugs, I've tried them and had rather bad experiences-uncontrollable suicidal thoughts, and drug triggered mania. I wanted someone to talk too but it's a real crap shoot as to who you will get. If you don't mesh with the assigned therapist, the problem is you. You don't want to take meds? Well, your resisting treatment. I found the whole experience degrading, crushing and I think it reinforced this idea that I'm not a person with problems and strengths, but just a pathologically damaged subhuman.
Anyway, I won't seek counseling ever again unless I'm paying and it's on my terms. I don't want to give someone power over my life and be the charity case, it's not healthy for me. This are my feelings and you should seek out free counseling and I hope it works for you. If it doesn't and you find yourself having to talk about traumatic life events with a stoned 20 year old-it's not you, and don't feel like a failure if what's offered to you doesn't work.
Here are somethings that are free and that I've found helpful.
Journaling. Write down your crap thoughts/fears and burn them. Keep a gratitude journal and try and write down 5 things your grateful for each day.
If your'e feeling suicidal, your thoughts are racing, or you just wish you could run out of your own skin-cold bath, all the way up to the neck, stay in the tub till your lungs feel cold then take a hot shower. Cold showers work too, but the cold plunge is the best.
Don't watch TV-that shit will make anyone crazy.
Fish oil, can't afford them, eat sardines every day.
Eat good fat, eat dark greens, this works for me. Bone broth with greens, calms me down. Learn to cook, notice how food makes you feel, how it affects your mood. If you find yourself freaking out, ask your self, have I eaten? If so, what did you eat? I learned for me, low blood sugar causes panic and makes me a real unfun person. Caffeine doesn't work for me either. Suger makes my thoughts negative.
Magnesium Citrate, I use Calm, it really works for me but if you take too much you get the shits.
Volunteer at something you like. Get's you out of your head, gives you positive experiences with others and it's nice to think of someone else for a change.
If you have body issues, don't keep any mirrors in your house, cover the one in the bathroom, throw away your scale and if you start tripping over food, tell yourself "I'd rather be fat than vain, shallow and neurotic"
Feel bad about your life? Do something for someone, anything, no matter how small.
Don't drink or get stoned or do the drugs. Pot and beer didn't work for me and abstaining saves money.
Make friends with much older people, they've had worse problems than you and lived through it
AA, even if your not an alcoholic, it's helpful to hear people talk about being fucked up but choosing to make a different life for yourself. You don't have to talk and be upfront if talking to someone and tell them, I'm not an alcoholic but I need to talk to someone but I'm broke. People in AA may have good contacts and a lot of people in AA have mental health issues, so you could find people to talk to who got through it.
Talk back to the negative thoughts, reject them. Out loud if you can. I say, "Stop. This isn't helping me. This does not make me stronger. You're not welcome here, leave now" I started doing this and I started standing up for myself more to others.
Good luck with finding help, I hope you find it.

Good Morning Nigel!

Your posting is stupendous even for people with cash to spend.

Your assertiveness is practical and sensible, no nonsense and with the disclaimer that assures personal relativity.

The nugget about seeking friends with older people is particularly valuable as I have found.....my best friend is 91 in July.....

I cooked last night.....fresh baked fish strewn with whole cranberries, boiled red potatoes and boiled brussel sprouts and afterwards for the first time fresh ginger boiled as tea with honey and fresh lime.......aside from the excellent eating was the excellent mindfulness of preparing it. I had a manager at work once who would cut veggies for the self therapy.......

I've never had a professional therapist experience but I realize from others and now again from you that finding a good therapist is like finding a good spouse......no guarantees.......

Love your advice about TV.....DUMP IT!! I did in 1987 when my marriage ended.....I spoke to that in one of my early rants in this forum and cited the irony of the forum/podcast itself created by an entertainer and attracting many entertainment people who all have a material stake in the medium!

Television world, it's a toxic atmosphere when the frenzy and competition for performing genius and probably most of all.......physical beauty, leaves people too often psychologically blown apart......ego victimized.....and this including so very many from the consumer side of the television fence, people whose prospective of life gets absurdly bent by the media prism they stare at almost catatonically day after fucking day.....surely a lifetime of incessant exposure to media advertisement for consumer products and services driven into our skulls must do more harm than good for social behavior and personal judgement........so yeah let's throttle the damn shit into its proper box to see how we better respond in real life.

I am a volunteer as you advise.......it's a huge aid to mental health indeed.

The forum is lush with compassion and experience, empathy and ideas for solutions. Your post nigel, printed to a single page would be a jewel for those in their dark moments.

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm

There are workbooks for depression and anxiety, My therapist and I used to work through them and discuss my answers. But even without therapy, as I am currently now, I work through these sometimes it gives pretty simple but effective advice too and sometimes a little insight.

are you employed? all employers are required to provide mental health services, regardless of insurance. I'm currently employed by a company that requires a 2800 deductible with a monthly fee that's ridiculous considering only management gets paid decently.

you call, go in for an assessment, the counselor decides how many sessions you need, and it's all for free. if they feel they can't help you, they refer you to someone who can, and it's still free. I'm using it now and I'm at 16 free sessions.

I imagine someone mentioned it, but are you near a 4 year university? a lot have counseling services on campus as a free resource for students. they're also open to the public for a small fee, and if you're low-income they base it on your income. the counselors are usually graduate and doctoral psychology students and supervised by their professors. they have weekly meetings and discuss their clients with the panel of professors and other students, but it's all done anonymously and your name isn't used, so you'll have to be okay with this, it's done to get advise and guidance from their mentors.

during grad school, the counseling center charged about $10 for low-income community members.


otherwise, go to psychcentral.com and use their counselor search engine. they have an option to search for sliding scale counselors in your area. if you have none locally, you may be able to find sliding scale counselors online (via chat/skype).