I think this system is making people a lot sicker than they needed to be, if it was easier to get proper treatment.
And people with BP, ( and every other sort of MI I assume ) usually have such low self-esteem that everything bad is internalized as "I am a loser, etc".
And so what if we have symptoms that are debilitating! We have an illness, and there is no shame in that. (might be going slightly off topic now...)
My impression is that a lot of people on the forum have to work, just to make ends meet. A lot of us should really not have to work, or at least not as much.
Having constant money-worries, is extremely stressful in itself. And of course the issue of not getting the proper follow-up (psychiatrists, therapists, meds) because the cost is prohibitive.
Because a lot of people who have MI, also have a very limited income, might make it impossible to own a car. Having a car is expensive, with paying for gas, repairs, insurance, etc. Also a reason that makes it so hard to get to a therapist. Even the cost of other kinds of transportation can be prohibitive if one has a very tight budget.