I'd been in and out of therapy for 40 years, had a breakdown 10 years ago, and wouldn't try more therapy because I had felt myself falling apart and therapists hadn't helped. Miraculously I remembered hearing about an emotional support peer group and I cannot possibly imagine how I could have managed without that. Maybe gone full-blown hopelessly insane. Even with the group I was seriously out of it for several years, contemplated suicide daily for 9 months one time. The group was my connection to life and some semblance of sanity/stability -- eventually one of the members recommended a specialist therapist who has been able to help with some dissociation/personality issues. Difficult stuff -- why minimally trained, generalist therapists think they're qualified to take that on is . . . well, awful and I hope they hurry up and realize that. But it might threaten their status and income? First things first. PC and similar internet groups are helpful, too. We're a social species -- that's just part of our biology.

Support groups and peer support are being pushed in Georgia for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses, just not the "walking wounded" with private insurance yet.

Advocate for yourself, if you can, and try to find something -- it will help us all, the more of us who can speak up and find what we need. Then maybe eventually some in "the system" will take notice, too.