In all of my years in and out of therapy (actually, more out lately) the greatest lesson that I have learned is that the best of the lot don’t actually give advice but rather, push the problem right back into your lap while gently prodding/teaching you to hear your own inner voice so that you can solve the problem yourself.

1. I suppose I am lucky to have MassHealth but it makes mental health providers run for the hills. Seems like anyone with quality references and adequate experience won’t deal with Mass Health, they obviously make it too difficult for them to get their $$$.

2. When I call mental health providers that do take my coverage they tell me they have a wait list that is solely base on a database of patients that already use their primary health services. Shortage of mental health professionals? Why is that?

3. Until last week I had a full time retail job (that means working over the normal business hours of health professionals and irregular days off). So who was out there who could see me after 7 pm? Nobody. Means working class people can’t get treatment.

4. Now that I do have time to see a therapist (took me 4 weeks to find a place taking patients) I’ll get to see a counselor but wait up to 4 weeks before getting an appointment with a Psychiatrist who can prescribe meds. If I hear one more time “I think we can’t really expect you to see progress till you get meds” I’m gonna scream at the top of my lungs. Which might get me hospitalized and thus immediately medicated (that’s your only choice folks).

5. Of course the quickest way of getting treatment would be to get hospitalized, which I’ve already experienced. In this case the treatment is highly impersonal, and I found the professional staff to be condescending. All the treatment is distress tolerance, no therapy, just the same endless series of handouts being read aloud in a circle.

I’m gonna give these mental health people another chance, since I’ve already spent close to a month trying to get services. But damn if this time I’m gonna make sure they know that I AM THE CLIENT, and hold them accountable for all their practices.

I am not taking exception with the article as a whole but my concerns are from a patients standpoint on these issues globally speaking.

These are things that many patients like me know/believe:

1. Treatment is costly! Nine times out of ten we HAVE to select a clinician in-network (most of which will not be accepting new patients) if we want to afford being treated for whatever issue is at hand. I have a clinician that I have worked with for a long time and she does not accept insurance. There have been many times I’ve had to cancel appointments because I could not afford the 190/session fee (even if I can submit it to insurance and wait months for reimbursement). That said, I too have worked in medicine and realize that the converse is not pleasant for the clinician. Insurance companies make things definitely difficult and diagnostic codes have to be ‘x’ or ‘y’ to be considered ‘covered’…then there is the re-filing etc. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir.

2. We come to YOU. You who have been called to this profession. Trusting that you’re there because you want to be. Hoping that we’ll find a good fit to help us with is usually a huge issue by the time we actually seek care. Not because we don’t want to go but nine times out of ten can’t due to financial reasons. We know in the backs of our wee brains that you’re not there to be our friend, we just expect you to be the ally we need to find our way out of the weeds.

3. On the subject of pharmaceuticals. I have actually worked for a very large pharma company. I KNOW how they push medications to the offices of clinicians. I think there CAN BE an allure to go to them first because of the data and the expected outcomes. I just think that caution should be the order of the day.

Therapy alone has it’s place and can work for many (thankfully), however, medications do serve a large population well – we just have to come to a balance between the two. If given the chance I’d much rather try therapy without medication first and then if needed, introduce pharmaceuticals in conjunction with medication secondly. Not bashing the product, just the ease of which it CAN be pushed.

Lastly, I’m not a therapist and I haven’t walked a mile in your shoes. I know a bit, but not everything.

My hope is that for the thousands of folks who never seek care due to cost, that a solution is found. I’ve fallen into this group many times in my life. I was a full time employee who could not afford psychological care.

We want you to be paid. You worked for your credentials and this isn’t a free clinic. We know that…but just blanket telling your fellow clinicians to skip on working with insurance companies on the one hand and on the other complaining you have no clients…well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. We have to come to some kind of middle ground.

THANK YOU all for the services you provide us. Many of us have no one else that can listen and help. It’s hard to ask for help for many of us and knowing you care means the world to us.

You don’t have to be my best buddy, just be my therapist with my best interests at heart, and mean it, don’t fake it.

Thanks for letting a non-clinician share her thoughts.

4.

Yes, as a patient I should understand my policy and coverage – I agree with that. Yes, clinicians are providing a service and DESERVE to be compensated for their services/skills/etc. However, a solution needs to be identified for payment.