I'm ending therapy.

Hi,

The money has finally run out. For the first time, I have a good therapist and the right therapy and I can't go anymore.

I will be seeing him next Monday but I emailed him already to let him know that I will be stopping.

I hate the greed of the government that changed the rules midway so that our free medicare system was made 'safer' by introducing a Safety Net, that I now can't afford.

I hate the greed of psychiatrists including my own who knows that I am on a benefit and still thinks its okay to charge $50 above the subsidised rate. Most people are on about $16 to $20 an hour, so how can a psychiatrist justify working for $180 - $130 an hour.

The world is just a disgusting place to be in if you are sick. The strong are like vultures, waiting for any sign of weakness to swoop down and get their portion of meat out of you.

I know I will be okay, at least I hope so. Its just that I won't be well, I will live okay but within my little mental prison.

Really sucks big time.

I am sorry Persie, having somone that is within reach and feels may help you , then hit a wall because of $$$..your right sucks..but I thought providers can do a sliding fee schedule of some sort..not sure of the business end of things..but did you try and talk to him first, maybe he could work something out with the fee, although I know that their services are very valuable, most will try and work with you if they can within the confines of being fiscally minded to their practice and own well being..I agree with the Government statement..we could do alot better with programs if the people in lofty places in the clouds would only come down to our levels once in a while where the air is not so breathable at times. hope things work thru..

Check with your therapist some agencies have a fund that therapists have access to to help their clients with things. here the fund is called flex funds. The therapsit puts in a request for money to cover something that will go to help the client with the therapy process, sometimes its an item like my therapist was requesting money for some tapes by Nancy J napier that we could use for therapy, another therapist applied for the funds when I was forced to give up one appartment and move into a smaller cheeper appartment in the same complex, A friend of mine her therapist used flex funds to pay for one - two months of therapy sessions when she lost her job, due to a fire at her job. Check with catholic charities, st vincent du paul salvation army, Department of human services too sometimes they give out vouchers that will help someone pay this bill or that including mental and physical health care problems.

It won't be a permanent fix but using these resorces will give you time to apply for your therapy agencies sliding scale fee program or locate free therapy through a crisis center of a sliding scale fee program at a county mental health program.

oh persie that stinks! can you still get your prescriptions? I cant believe he's charging you the $50. Thats so mean. Hang in there...you seem like you will be Ok...I would feel so lost without my T. But tyes, I would survive also. We are survivors here, arent we?
Do you plan to look for someone cheaper? Can you see your T like once a month or something? Would that even help if you did? That stinks. Our government really does suck lately, doesnt it. Im so sorry. Hugs!

Can't write right now, but wanted to say thanks for the replies. And yep, as far as I am concerned, Johnnie sucks big time.

Can't write right now, but wanted to say thanks for the replies. And yep, as far as I am concerned, Johnnie sucks big time.

I hope you find a way to get the care you need. Is there a self-help group in your area that can atleast help in some way. The county mental health services offers some type of therapy. Group therapy is cheaper than individual counseling. Can you make use of your agency's group therapy? A lot of agencies do have a sliding ruler fee schedule. You might look into that. I am surprised at the rate that you are being charged. I have a disabled friend who pays a very small co-pay for therapy/ the physchiatrist that he sees. Is there another provider that doesn't require the extra $50 dollars?
I do find it amazing how much it costs to talk to a T. Hope it works out for you.

Have you spoken about all these feelings with the T? Can you get an agreement to pay what you can and run a bill for the rest? (((hugs)))

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Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I went to my T today to tell him that I was quitting because I couldn't afford it. He urged me to find out more info from Medicare because he thought I would have reached the safety net. Basically, if you pay up to $500, then the government covers you at a higher rate. I thought it was more like a $1000 so I went to Medicare and my T was right. I have accrued $487. So now, each session will start costing me about $10, not $50. I can manage that.

There is still the problem of my car. The T works almost an hour away. My sister told me that she will lend me her car on a couple of days a week.

I feel like I have been given a reprieve. Its not the perfect solution but its going to give me some extra time to get my act together, earn some money so that I can see him and not depend on my family.

Thanks for listening guys.

good news Persie...i am glad he will continue to work with you...

I haven't seen my old thread in a while now. Leaving therapy was one of the best things to happen to me. I thought it was the worst and I was frightened that I would suffer depression, anxiety, possibly suicide, but I have been fine. I discovered that I am a very strong person and I am okay and an okay person. Some of it came from talking with people on these sorts of sites, some of it was from discovering a new sense of spirituality and meaning, some of it was from my father suffering strokes and who is now coming to the end of his life and needing me to get over my hang-ups in order to care for him. Love conquers fear and it did for me.

I pray that I wasn't the only one who successfully found my way out of that dark labyrinth and that during this same time, many of you also found healing.

Peace and love to all of you, especially at this time, Happy New Year to everyone.