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Blueberrybook · Sep 25, 2018, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downandlonely

I think most drug companies have programs where they will give you the meds for a lower cost if you can prove you don't have enough money. I'm not sure about how you would see a psychiatrist though. If you don't have insurance, it's tough.

As far as alternatives to medication, there are free support groups for people with mental illness you can attend. I attend a Depression and Bipolar support group and find it extremely helpful. There is also the National Institute on Mental Illness. Here are the links: dbsalliance.org and nami.org. You can check and see if there are any support groups near you.

There are also some therapy clinics that provide a sliding scale for people in financial need.

All that said, for me meds are the most important thing (and they may be for you too). Without meds, all the therapy in the world wouldn't help me.

The drug companies do. If you see a pdoc, it is not very hard to qualify, though maybe it varies pdoc to pdoc. My old pdoc helped me quite a bit with this when H was unemployed, training to be a teacher, still not hired. I was able to get Abilify that way, Effexor too. Not sure if it has to be before the generic of the drug comes out or not.

Meds are not an instant cure all though. Even on meds, I have a lot of rough times, though thankfully they do help me sleep, something I have struggled with my whole life. And pdocs also have samples to give out for various drugs. Depending upon what they have and how much of it, I have had pdocs give me samples of meds like Cymbalta, enough to last 30 days or cards for a few free prescriptions of a med at pharmacy. I have had a PCP prescribe psych meds, but that was when I was on a pdoc waiting list and no longer qualified for free or sliding scale meds.

And as a previous poster said, see if there is free or generous sliding mental health help in your area. It seems like a PCP should know.