Posted by Racer on January 29, 2008, at 13:25:47
In reply to Re: Update » seldomseen, posted by Michael83 on January 28, 2008, at 19:32:36
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> I think it would take a while for me to get mental help from a professional. I don't have insurance, does anyone know if it is possible for me to get help? I should call an insurance agent and ask. Is there anywhere else I can call? I'm certain it takes like 3 months after you sign up for the insurance before it takes effect. 3 months, that's just too long. =(
>Yes, it's possible for you to get help, even without insurance. What's more, the coverage would begin when the policy started -- there isn't a three month delay. (Sometimes when you get a new job, they don't start your insurance coverage for a period of time, but that's the employer -- not the insurance.) Sometimes there's a delay before a policy will cover pre-existing conditions, and some pre-existing conditions won't be covered at all. That depends on the insurance policy -- and many insurance companies have a list of the conditions they consider to be pre-existing exclusions. When I got insurance after being uninsured for a decade, I was worried that they wouldn't cover my pre-existing conditions, like depression. When I called, though, they looked at their list, and said that none of mine were listed. So, depression, arthritis, etc, were all covered from day one.
As for getting help without insurance, there are a number of options for you -- none of which involve walking into an ER. (Most ERs will charge you, which you'd like to avoid.)
Check your local telephone book -- in the front, they should have a crisis intervention number, or a suicide hotline. Either of those will be able to offer a list of local referrals for accessible treatment.
There may be some local "warm lines" listed -- those are for people who need someone to talk to right now, but are not suicidal. They'll also have a list of referrals.
The county health department should have referrals, too.
I checked the NAMI site, and called them for local suggestions.
Are you in school? If so, your school's health services should have both counseling and referral lists.
Check the local yellow pages under psychologists or mental health. Sometimes counselors will have a small notice in their ads saying they offer a sliding scale.
Check for low cost health clinics or free clinics -- they'll have resource lists, too, which will show low cost counselors.
There are a lot of options for getting help when you don't have insurance. I won't lie to you about it -- many of these options are not great, many times it's hard to find a good fit for you, and some areas really don't have much to offer. Still, it's well worth trying.
Also, there's a book called "Mind Over Mood" which is a sort of do-it-yourself CBT workbook. You might find it helpful in the interim.
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:809121
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20080104/msgs/809565.html