Mental Healthcare in America

The state of the mental health system in America is a mess. 🫠

I mean we know this, how could we not? But I'm going to talk about my experience over the past few months.

I made calls to every group/practitioner on the list for my insurance and they don't even offer to put you on a waitlist anymore. At the moment I'm trying to replace a psychiatrist who has not been responsible with my care for an extremely long time. I know this, but the idea of finding other help is monumental, the feats at which you have to chase these people down are beyond the ability of the population they are supposed to serve.

At the moment my doctors office does not do reminder phone calls, text messages, or emails. If you miss an appointment they will not call you back and they will not answer the phone during the extremely limited amount of time you can call them (9-2). The expectation is completely put on the patient and I'm sorry if my gastro can text, email, and call me I think you can manage one of the above. There are automatic systems to set up no?

I was lucky enough to find someone (hopefully, I've been cancelled on twice) but I'm squeezing it out of my part time work budget because I burned out working full time without getting proper treatment in the first place. It is a never ending exhausting cycle. That never ends up with the patient in a good spot. I've got a a great support system, I am past the depression at least the really scary kind, all I'd like is a corrected diagnosis and some support in a wholistic approach (including medication).

As good as my mood might be, as stable as I am, I still after all these years am fighting to get proper treatment and a medication management counselor that takes what I have to say seriously. To be frank it sucks, to constantly be questioned by medical professionals even with a therapist who is behind me and years and years of personal notes to present. Things my current provider is unwilling or unable to understand to use? I don't know what her motivation is and I don't think I'm willing to stick around longer to find out.

Because yes, I'm so much better than I was when I burned out, I'm so much better than I was last year. It's because of this I'm so clear and ready to stand up for myself. I just feel I shouldn't have to. Of course, there are circumstances right now that are absolutely bonkers, no one expected a pandemic, multiple wars, and the climate to explode on us at the same time (okay some of us may have been pointing in that direction but that's besides the point). People are distressed. Naturally that means therapists and psychiatrists are probably overloaded and burning out as well. The whole system has to change. I don't have the answers to that, those questions are so massive.

We know our medical system is a mess, but if someone who is as disabled as I am by my mental health has to fight this hard to get treatment and I'm only willing and able because I have a really good support system that allowed me to essentially do the bare minimum for an entire year. Imagine how many people are currently slipping through the cracks? Because I've got people fighting next to me, but I wouldn't if I wasn't incredibly lucky to have people that stuck around over the years.

We're coming around to voting again (Nov 7th NJ) please consider positions on healthcare, social security, ssdi, and Medicaid/Medicare when you're voting.