Claiming super for medical costs TMS

[SucculentQueen]

Hi All, 

Has anyone been able to claim on their super early to treat mental health conditions? I am looking in to seeing if I can claim to cover the cost of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. If depression is life threatening I dont see why TMS cannot be viewed as a potentially life saving treatment.

Be great to hear from anyone who has information on this.

Thanks 

[SucculentQueen]

I start treatment in 4 weeks at an inner Melb clinic which is bulk billing the entire 35 treatments. You need to ask for this and if you are a first timer it should be granted. I was surprised they did not ask me any questions about my social circumstances in order to wipe the gap fees. They also informed me of the 15 extra top up sessions that medicare would cover following the initial 35. After 50 sessions I believe it is not free unless you have a concession card. Clinics differ in what they offer and even different staff at the same clinic will elaborate on the previous staff members info and you will find yourself discovering different treatment options. Gotta say that Ive spoken to plenty of people who aren't sure about the practicalities of what they're telling me which is simply across the board in all areas of customer service these days however it's extra stressful when making healthcare decisions. My advice is to be kind, respectful but assertive in asking questions that favour your mental and financial health. If I had not asked the right questions I would be paying $175 gap fees per session, which was never ever gonna happen. Will write again into the BB ether. Maybe.

[SucculentQueen]

I went in for the Brain Mapping Session which is just a prep procedure prior to getting the actual treatment. Brain Mapping is where they determine where they need to send the magnetic pulses for treatment to be effective. A practitioner of some rank places a small gadget on to your head and it makes a clicking sound until your motor cortex is stimulated enough to make your finger twitch. Mine took a long time and their answer to that was a standard " everyone reacts differently". Pretty much the non-answer the reel off whenever you switch antidepressants so no-one holds them to an outcome. In light of the prevalence of abuse health professionals receive from dissatisfied patients, a non-answer is fair play.

Anyway, its simple, painless and part of the process. I was in the waiting room for longer than it took to do this.

[SucculentQueen]

Hello to the great BB quiet expanse, or only myself maybe.

Its been 6 weeks since I finished a course of TMS and I feel better overall. The main difference is a reduction in the intensity of the depression. I don't have suicidal thoughts anymore however am not sure how I feel about this. There was comfort in knowing it was always an option. Nevertheless those suicidal thoughts were a huge source of shame and shame is a killer. Following treatment I now feel more neutral but not in a detached, depersonalised escitalopram weighted down way. I'm not really masking my misery to any great extent but simply presenting more as myself. As little as 8 weeks ago, I was using toxic positivity to defend against the stigma of looking depressed which only made me look unhinged plus it was exasperating as life lacks quality when youre faking it to survive. All this hasnt necessarily made me more socially appealing but I do feel lighter and healthier with this improved acceptance of who I am and the reduced need to pretend that I wasnt depressed because other people were uncomfortable with it. Ive come up with non-offensive, non-bitey responses to people who comment on my face looking unhappy which is better for my self esteem as not defending myself or offending anybody else but closing down ill intended comments with just a few words and changing how people treat me in future. Some just ignore me now but I'm ok with it. This is mostly workplace interactions and not sure why I can do this, possibly something to do with lowered anxiety as they also treated my right side which is the target area for ex military/paramedics with PTSD. If you have terrible anxiety this is worth raising as they can do this at no extra cost. 

Something else that is really significant is the weight of the drenched woolen cloak I felt wrapped in. If youve ever carried an unspun wet woolen blanket to the clothes line that will give you some idea of the feeling. Imagine a stronger gravitational pull to the ground where you need to sit or lie down at times where normal people dont and across years that pull determines your posture and you change shape.  Another thing I dont do anymore is feed on vitamins believing I'm deficient in nutrients as a reason for why I was depressed. The supplements made no difference because I wasn't significantly deficient in anything at least to the point where I felt like I was being pulled to the ground. I did have a lowered iron/Vit D count but not to the level where I was eligible for a bulk billed infusion.

Few more things to add, while I was doing the treatment I began walking alot and this shifted my weight around into a healthier arrangement where everything sat better which benefited my knees and core. i didnt really need to lose weight but i just all over the place physically and again, the walking seemed to align everything back to where it should have been which also helped my posture and the associated little aches etc. This  helped my view of myself and I wouldnt have done it if I werent getting the treatment.

These are just a 

;number of things Im reeling off quickly and will add as I have more time.

If you're thinking about TMS, please go ahead and do it. Keep in mind that the benefits might show up a month or so after youve finished the course and not to feel disheartened if results dont show up straight away. 

Also, it's good to know that the difference is moderate, maybe even mild but honestly thats all you need if youre considering killing yourself and dont want to kill yourself.

Another thing, and only in my experience, having TMS needs to be an entire program rather than just having the actual treatment. If your environment isnt good, you might want to stay somewhere else whilst having the treatment. I rented an airbnb in St Kilda and it was the wisest choice I made in terms of helping to stimulate my brain and open up the possibilities of a new lifestyle. Infact air bnb is a great substitute for an actual holiday if you want to go stay near the beach or whatever you'd like to do.

I also recommend having a peer supported place where you can discuss the treatment beyond the restrictive walls of a professional setting. I did not have this but wouyld have found it beyond useful and am still seeking this kind of thing if it's out there.

If you have to return to an environment that made you unhappy, before having the treatment try to plan ahead and prepare your environment for when you return. This could be rearranging the loungeroom or bedroom or just having a gift waiting for yourself on the kitchen table for when you get home. Whatever it is that will give you a change and light up your brain on returning.