There is no help

I called my employers EAP Program because I was so manic and upset. They swore someone would call me today. A counselor. Noone ever did. Fuck the world. 

Mental Health care in the remote south

I am glad I am moving, because I give up on getting any real care around here.

I had hell figuring out that there were even counselors in this town like what I was looking for. There is no specializations of the few counselors that are here, and they generally have little experience with bipolar disorder or anything other than simple depression or marital problems, etc.

So I try to use my employer’s health employee assistance plan. It touts that it will pay for 8 visits a year with a counselor for a variety of problems. Yay! I thought. So it turns out there were no providers here, and it took over a week for them to find someone that would see me. So I go to them for two visits – and on the 2nd visit, they basically told me they were moving and good luck (not exactly like that, but basically the jest of the message). So we hadn’t even got anywhere and they abandoned me. Never fear! The mental health center said they’d certify someone else. A week later I call back, and good news! I get 8 more appointments with a new counselor, but they can’t see me until almost July.  Considering I’m moving the middle of July, that is useless. So here I am, 3 months ago, almost at the very bottom of depression, and I still would like counseling, but I literally can not get in to see someone.

On top of that, there is only 1 pdoc serving an entire county. It takes 3-4 months to get an appt. with him. Also, for someone suffering from anxiety, the clinic has a strict no benzo policy. Finally, thank god for my family doc’s willingness to prescribe lamictal to me. . .

It is no wonder that so many people needlessly suffer. The state of mental health care in this country, especially the deep rural south USA, is quite atrocious. Not to mention the whole insurance tied to your job thing. . . Sigh.