Where is the actual support for those that can’t afford it??

[Andre_cbr]

Severe anxiety and depression has paralysed me. Lost my job, no energy, no hope, no goals.. same thoughts and worries daily.. all day.. 

They say get help, see a doctor. Well I did and all he can do is write medication for me and give me a referral to a psychologist, which I cant afford! I’m not working and have no saving. How can one actually get real help when one doesn’t have the money?? 

They keep telling men to reach out for help. Then when we do, we talk to someone online or by phone, or answer questionares, in the end, it all goes back to needing to see a professional psychologist, which is out of one’s reach to afford??

it seems like there is many places to assist you in letting you know that your badly sick, yet not many places to actually help you unless you have big money. We are quick to point out issues.. but everything else after that, it’s “your in your own mate”

So if we are a modern, open minded country and cares for its mentally ill, that gives a fair go, that looks after its community… then is there not a way for a man that has had enough of a crippling mental health issues to seek help to get his life back on track? 

[Croix]

Dear Guest_609~

Welcome here, I hope you find some fresh ideas here.

Yes, trying to get in to see a mental health professional can be a real problem, often they are too few, too far away, or simply too expensive. People seem to think a Medicare Mental Health Plan is the answer provided you are eligible , unfortunately most often this scheme does not cover all charges and you can be left with a large gap fee after each visit unless you are lucky and find a psychologist who bulk bills.. 

To be constantly told you should see one is at the very least depressing and probably annoying too. A lot of people are simply unrealistic or do not have sufficient knowledge of the practicalities..

There is an alternative, and that is to try on-line self paced therapy. If these are of good quality, free, and use properly qualified staff they can be a real help to many people. A couple of universities, Macquarie and Swinburne run such services. They are properly accredited.

https://www.mindspot.org.au/

and

https://www.mentalhealthonline.org.au/

Both operate on much the same lines, offering a selection of courses and helping you choose the most appropriate one. You are not left on your own and have the options of talking with or emailing a clinician as your course progresses. I do know Mindspot will liaise with your GP, possibly Mental Health On Line may too, though I'm not sure.

While these may not be a perfect substitute for a psychologist thay are a definite improvement on nothing. You would of course still need your GP.

I'd suggest having a browse though these sites and see what you think. I have done a course with Mindspot and found it helped.

I'd be interested to know how you go.

Croix

[randomxx]

Hi there op.

l do have one or two suggestions , well other than to just keep on digging.

lf your on centerlink and have in a job agency , the job agency can get you into places or onto one on one counselling.

Been a lot of rough patches for me over the last 10 yrs and at one stage l had to go onto centerlink.

Well the job agency arranged some counselling for me and that could've gone onto other things if l needed it from there too, this was free , part of centerlink

Also l rarely go to the docs but at one stage he arranged much the same thing for me too , same again , free and if l needed more from there they could arrange that from there.

Good luck anyway.

rx

[Doolhof]

Hi Guest_609,

I feel your frustration, confusion and disappointment when it comes to receiving assistance with  mental health. 

People are encouraged to seek assistance and as you have experienced it is not always easy to find the avenues of assistance at an affordable rate. 

For immediate assistance I have called Beyond Blue and Lifeline, the support workers have helped me find ways to regulate again when feeling immensely depressed and struggling to find meaning. The support workers may be able to help you locate services in your region that can assist you.

I've been working on my own sense of well-being, trying to incorporate more activities that restore my heart and soul. Some days none of that works and I almost scream out to the universe for someone to help.

I wish I had some answers for you! 

[rhinoceros]

I can strongly empathise with you.... mental health support is very expensive. Medicare etc. only covers so much, and a lot of the time you need to pay up-front and wait to get the rebate. With cost of living going up so much, I've cut back on seeing the psychologist/counsellor quite a bit.

[Sophie_M]

Hi Guest_609,

Thank you for having the strength to share your experience, albeit a frustrating one. Often the hardest step is recognising we need help and asking for it, however it is difficult when the system can be complicated and costly. Please know that you are not alone, we wanted to provide some extra support that may help in the meantime.

We agree with the wisdom expressed from our lovely community members here, centrelink and specifically job seeking organisations are able to refer to free or low cost councelling. It may also be worth discussing your circumstances with your GP as often psychologists who have almost finished their training (provisional psychologists) are able to provide lower cost options.

We want to let you know that the Beyond Blue Support Line is here for you 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or online. We’d really recommend reaching out to talk these feelings through and think about creating a Safety Plan for those difficult moments.

We wanted to also provide some articles which may help with your wellbeing during this time as you mentioned you've been having severe anxiety, which can be exhausting. Strategies for managing anxiety  Strategies for sleeping well  We know it's not a solution but we're letting you know that we are always here to chat as we know it can be an isolating and difficult time. We are here to support you and you are not alone. Thank you so much for sharing here. Please look after yourself and if you feel able to, update us on how you are going.

Kind Regards,

Sophie M

[1234567ABCD]

Ohhh I feel you. R U Okay day really upsets me for this very reason.

I am constantly told I'm not sick enough for service A but too complex for service B. I got lucky after an admission to a public psych ward and was taken on pro-bono by a psychiatrist. I still spaceout my psychology sessions but Im lucky and have savings.

I really hope you are able to find something!