Why is it so difficult to get help?

[chatnoirmd]

Hello everyone! I'm writing because I am very frustrated right now. I started trying to find a therapist and a psychiatrist one month ago, and I'm still looking. Many of the psychiatrists are under the same 'umbrella' system and the next appointment for a new patient is in April! I've tried reaching out to solo psychiatrists with their own practice, and I've not gotten a call back yet or they are not accepting new patients (even though their website and my insurance website says so). I had to switch to a new primary care physician and he won't prescribe medication for mental health. While I understand his position, I don't know what I am supposed to do for the next six months. I told him that I've been unable to find a psychiatrist, and he thought that time frame was ridiculous as well. He said he would try to help and I've heard nothing from him yet either.

The same is true for mental health therapists. I've been told they aren't accepting new patients, and left so many messages, that I'm starting to become discouraged. I'm usually positive and happy go lucky, so for me to be feeling this way, in addition to the stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, it's slowly driving me mad. My inner self is changing and I don't like it. I feel like the depression is slowly taking over like a disease and not having an option for a psychiatrist or therapist is making me feel worse.

I moved within the last year, so I'm getting used to a new healthcare way of life. Where I used to live, appointments were always available to get new patients in, but the follow up appointment could be delayed. You could always email your doctor though, and they would chat with you about any concerns, and even offer to call you to chat if needed. That's what I'm used to so this seems crazy. I want help! I need help! I'm trying to better myself, and the healthcare system isn't working for me.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks that they can share? Any advice? Has anyone else ever dealt with this before? Thanks!

[shellgg]

Oh I feel for you! I recently found online therapy. You pay like $45 a month and you have unlimited access to the therapist. Let me try to find the name and I'll post it. The reviews are pretty good.

[shellgg]

Betterhealth is the name of the website.

[chatnoirmd in reply to shellgg]

Thank you so much!

[shellgg in reply to chatnoirmd]

You are very welcome! If you choose to do it let me know how it goes! I am eventually going to do it. Just can't afford it right now even though it's on the cheaper side.

[Lostjoy in reply to shellgg]

Hi Shellgg,

Just reading through the posts. Thought I'd let you know about my experience with betterhelp.com. I did the therapy session for one month. You have to pay for a month at a time in advance. I had a pretty good experience with my assigned therapist. I would always get a reply when I wrote her a message. Depending on what time of day I wrote. If it was late, then I would get a response the next day. I didn't have any phone call, or skype access. Those cost more. So only unlimited messages. She would even answer me on Sat and Sun though. I didn't continue after a month because to pay for 4 weeks up front was a bit much for me.

Hope is helps you all.

[shellgg in reply to Lostjoy]

That's great info! Thanks.

[chatnoirmd in reply to Lostjoy]

Agreed! Thanks for sharing

[ckw1]

I understand how you feel and I can relate to your frustration. I live in a somewhat of a rural area and therapists are few and far between and finding a physiatrists requires that I drive for a couple hundred miles for each visit. I feel like I’ve been to all the counselors in my area and if I make an appointment I can almost guarantee what they are going to tell me. I need to do something because this last six months to a year has been one of my worst for anxiety and it feels like I’m on the edge of breaking down. I don’t know where to turn to anymore.

[chatnoirmd in reply to ckw1]

At least neither of us is alone in this. A small comfort, but one nonetheless. I actually have a pretty good idea what a therapist would tell me as well, but it doesn't stop me from wanting that type of support right now. It's helped me so much in the past and I feel that I need that right now. But yeah, I don't know where to turn to anymore. Another day without any returned calls. It's just frustrating. Thanks for replying!

[ckw1 in reply to chatnoirmd]

Thank you for your support.

[Hidden]

BEWARE: I checked the reviews for "better health.com" and found a review site where three people wrote that they had been scammed by this website. The reviewers said they were charged $100 for a "low-cost trial" that was supposed to only cost around $2.50.

It's so unethical to prey on people who are very vulnerable.

Please do some careful research before giving your bank account or credit card information to one of these websites.

[blackcat64013]

Hi chatnoirmd,

If your primary care provider won't prescribe mental health drugs, do not persist with him. He probably won't get your mental health either. Is there another primary care provider you can to, either in the same practice or elsewhere.

My doctor seemed to break through the lack of appointments by calling the providers himself (this happened while I was in the consult so that I had an appointment when I left).

My fall back position would have been to write a letter to my local parliamentary representative for help with a cc to the director of the local government health dept.

My list of possible helpers

* telehealth conferences which has already been mentioned - The website of the American Telemedicine Association is the best place – americantelemed.org -

* online apps (Smiling Mind, Black Dog Institute)

* Churches

* Community Centres

* Non-government organisations

* University Psych departments

* organisations that register the service providers - colleges and associations of psychiatrists and pscyhologists, counselors, social workers

* throw up a few random Google searches eg. mental health+location or any combination

[Nanny23]

Hi I saw a reply in my e-mail about drug interactions. I wanted to thankyou for your reply but when I hit e-mail to look at your answer it said your post was deleted. I did see part of it and wanted to thankyou for answering my reply.

[chatnoirmd in reply to Nanny23]

You are welcome! It’s been a long Monday but I think I was saying that I could relate. I was on a med that was best for daytime, but was told to take it at nighttime. No wonder I had issues sleeping lol.