Why is it so difficult for people to get mental help

[Texashiker]

Not difficult as in finding a doctor, but difficult as in having limited refills, needing health insurance, price of the doctors visit, price of the medicine,,,.

<confession>

Because my family has a history rich in mental disorders, alcoholism and even suicide I take medicine to keep me level. Without the medicine I had a doctor tell me I was borderline bi-polar. This is something I have been dealing with since the 1990s. I know I have a problem so I take medicine.

</confession>

Why should someone, or anyone else who has a family history, have to keep going back to the doctor ever 6 months to get their prescription refilled?

If I did not have health insurance I would have a heck of a time getting my meds. If you do not have health insurance, a lot of doctors will not see you.

Then there are the price of the meds. If someone did not have some kind of prescription assistance, how are they supposed to afford their meds?

As the people who try to pass gun laws say, if we can prevent one death, isn't it worth it?

If we can prevent one suicide, one murder, one mass shooting,,,, shouldn't we as a society be focused on mental health reform?

Why aren't we as a culture having a serious debate on the need for mental health reform?

 

[IronWing]

You have to go back to the doctor every six months so the doctor can bill you every six months. The doctors' monopoly on prescription writing is a main source of their wealth.

Mental illness gets second class status because historically mental illness has been ascribed to everything from poor character to demon possession. While the causes are better understood today, the stigma has not gone away.

Add to this that any program to provide parity in coverage to mental health costs money and it becomes more difficult to overcome incorrect perceptions.

 

[ZaneNBK]

It's not just mental health. Therapy (physical, visual, occupational, etc...) also gets the short straw. It's pretty common for both mental health and therapy services to have very limited coverage under health insurance, usually with a fixed number of visits per month or year.

At least when it comes to therapy (and some mental illnesses), usually if you need it that badly then it's related to a disability that can help you get better coverage through the government that includes therapy. Arkansas is actually a really good state for health care coverage for people with disabilities.

 

[boomerang]

You have to go back to the doctor every six months so the doctor can bill you every six months. The doctors' monopoly on prescription writing is a main source of their wealth.

I stopped reading right there. Your ignorance is pretty much off the charts.

 

[Oyeve]

Its hard to prove mental health services are even necessary. For example, my GFs son is "bi-polar" and she spends gobs of money on shrinks and he gets everything he wants. Is milking the system, gets $$ from govt and has no job or even aspirations of getting one. He smokes weed all day and plays video games. Hes 19. I say he needed an ass whipping years ago and am sick of his bullshit. But, I am not the parent so fuck em. There are more "non mental health issues" screwing up the insurance than there are real mental health issues being diagnosed properly.

 

[IronWing]

I stopped reading right there. Your ignorance is pretty much off the charts.

You're the expert on that subject, I guess you would know.

 

[rudder]

Some people don't know they need it. Legally it is hard to force someone to take meds for say schizophrenia.

The navy shooter had healthcare, te newtown shooter had healthcare... So access is not the issue I think.

And as far as having to see the doctor for refills.... No doctor is going to sign his name to an unlimited amount of refills.... Coud you imagine the liability?

 

[Fern]

-snip-
Why should someone, or anyone else who has a family history, have to keep going back to the doctor ever 6 months to get their prescription refilled?

Liability was one good reason already noted.

I can't see giving someone, particularly someone with mental health issues, an unlimited amount of drugs. Some of those are abused and could be sold on the street etc.

Shouldn't a person with mental health issues being see a physician once every 6 months anyway? Is that unreasonable?

Fern

 

[Texashiker]

Shouldn't a person with mental health issues being see a physician once every 6 months anyway? Is that unreasonable?

I am up for my refill next month. It has only been 6 months since I went to the doctor.

Why disrupt someones life - take off from work, get stressed out,,, - to talk to a doctor and get a refill?

I can see once a year, but every 6 months?

And as far as having to see the doctor for refills.... No doctor is going to sign his name to an unlimited amount of refills.... Coud you imagine the liability?

My honest opinion based on your statement, society needs to hand out medicine to some people like candy.

Not everyone, but if someone qualifies for medicine, they should be able to get it on demand. Prescription run out, get it refilled with no questions asked.

If a teenage girl can get the morning after pill without a prescription, and with no questions, why cant someone with a history of mental illness be treated the same way?

It is probably easier to buy crack then it is to get depression medicine.

Being serious here

I am not referring to me, but if someone has the ability to hurt themselves, or hurt someone else if they get off their medicine, why do we make them jump through hoops?

 

[CrackRabbit]

I am up for my refill next month. It has only been 6 months since I went to the doctor.

Why disrupt someones life - take off from work, get stressed out,,, - to talk to a doctor and get a refill?

I can see once a year, but every 6 months?




My honest opinion based on your statement, society needs to hand out medicine to some people like candy.

Not everyone, but if someone qualifies for medicine, they should be able to get it on demand. Prescription run out, get it refilled with no questions asked.

If a teenage girl can get the morning after pill without a prescription, and with no questions, why cant someone with a history of mental illness be treated the same way?

Because teenage girls can't sell their morning after pills to people wanting to get high.

Edit: I see your edit. As Rudder said, it all comes down to liability. If someone who actually has a mental illness, but can get by without meds most of the time can greatly abuse the system by getting their prescription and selling it to stoners.

 

[Texashiker]

Because teenage girls can't sell their morning after pills to people wanting to get high.

I did not know depression medicine made you high?

 

[CrackRabbit]

I did not know depression medicine made you high?

Yeah, people abuse stuff like anti-depressants all the time.
Just think about it for a moment, if an anti-depressant can take a depressed person and make them feel normal, what would it do to a person without depression?

 

[Texashiker]

Yeah, people abuse stuff like anti-depressants all the time.
Just think about it for a moment, if an anti-depressant can take a depressed person and make them feel normal, what would it do to a person without depression?

Its not about feeling normal, its about staying level.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Its not about feeling normal, its about staying level.

Right.
Most drugs of that nature change the flow of neuro-transmitter chemicals and/or receptors in the brain.

For someone who is having problems with not enough of either the drugs can boost one or the other so that the person taking them feels more level. But if a person who isn't having an issue takes them it can give them a euphoric high.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

what meds?

 

[boomerang]

I am up for my refill next month. It has only been 6 months since I went to the doctor. Why disrupt someones life - take off from work, get stressed out,,, - to talk to a doctor and get a refill? I can see once a year, but every 6 months?

We have some pharmacists here and some physicians too. I am neither. But I've been on this earth long enough to know that your doctor wants to see you to make sure of several things. Here is a short list that I as a layman am aware of.

Are you still taking your meds? You obviously do. With some forms of mental illness it can be difficult to get the patient to take their meds or to take them consistently.

Is the medication working? People develop resistance to medications. Maybe your dosage should be adjusted. Maybe a different medication is now available with less side effects. Maybe you are seeing a different doctor for a medical condition and that doctor has you on some medication. There could be interactions between those medications.

Have you put on weight or lost weight? Your dosage may be one that needs to be fine tuned.

Have you developed side effects that are potentially dangerous? They may have built up slowly over time to where you don't think much of it. By questioning you, your Doctor may save you further complications. Some medications these days list as a possible side effect, death. Yes, that's right.

These are just some of the good reasons to see your Doctor on the schedule he or she is asking of you.

 

[Agent11]

I think part of the problem is people being reluctant to accept a label and the stigma that goes along with it.

It doesn't help that there were many horror stories from institutionalized mental healthcare in the past.

 

[Joe_u]

Don't forget the physical cost of the medicine. Have a friend who is bipolar. Brilliant guy, but he thinks the medicine slows him down so doesn't take it at times.

 

[boomerang]

Don't forget the physical cost of the medicine. Have a friend who is bipolar. Brilliant guy, but he thinks the medicine slows him down so doesn't take it at times.

Great example. My sister is bipolar and I've worked with bipolar people. Taking their meds puts them on an even keel. They miss the highs they get in the manic phase of their illness.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

We have some pharmacists here and some physicians too. I am neither. But I've been on this earth long enough to know that your doctor wants to see you to make sure of several things. Here is a short list that I as a layman am aware of.

Are you still taking your meds? You obviously do. With some forms of mental illness it can be difficult to get the patient to take their meds or to take them consistently.

Is the medication working? People develop resistance to medications. Maybe your dosage should be adjusted. Maybe a different medication is now available with less side effects. Maybe you are seeing a different doctor for a medical condition and that doctor has you on some medication. There could be interactions between those medications.

Have you put on weight or lost weight? Your dosage may be one that needs to be fine tuned.

Have you developed side effects that are potentially dangerous? They may have built up slowly over time to where you don't think much of it. By questioning you, your Doctor may save you further complications. Some medications these days list as a possible side effect, death. Yes, that's right.

These are just some of the good reasons to see your Doctor on the schedule he or she is asking of you.

When he said "6 months" I wondered if those meds were controlled substances but in any case it would be irresponsible to not see a psychs psych patient on a regular basis.

 

[Texashiker]

<snip>

These are just some of the good reasons to see your Doctor on the schedule he or she is asking of you.

I fully agree with everything you said, there is no argument there from me.

One of my points is the people who need help are not getting it. It could be a variety of reasons, no insurance, do not want to go to the doctor, no money,,,,,.

Another point, with everything else in this world so easy to get - morning after pill, abortion, able to buy a gun in a mater of minutes, buy a car, buy alcohol,,,, should those who want help be able to get it?

Lets take the naval yard shooter for example. He could have easily bought an AR15 for his shooting spree. For the vast majority of people it is easier to buy an AR15 or AK47 then it is to get their prescription.

Prescription runs out, voices come back. Guy goes to pharmacy to get his medicine, is told prescription has run out and he needs to go to the doctor. Voices tell him, screw going to the doctor, go to the gun store and lets teach those bastards a lesson.

 

[Rio Rebel]

TexasHiker, you are spot on. Some mental illnesses do not call for a doctor's visit every six months. Once you have made several visits tweaking the medicine and dosage, if a person feels level then there is no need to go back on such a frequent basis.

Many people who are fully functional professionals take anti-depressants or other neuro drugs, and have been doing so on a long term basis. It makes no sense to require them to keep revisiting a doctor to get refills (especially since most general practitioners do not have the in depth understanding of this therapeutic area to make such visits productive. Most of the time it's "Feeling ok? Good.")

 

[ThinClient]

Why is it so difficult for people to get mental help

Not everyone realizes that they're Republican before it's too late.

 

[boomerang]

I fully agree with everything you said, there is no argument there from me.

One of my points is the people who need help are not getting it. It could be a variety of reasons, no insurance, do not want to go to the doctor, no money,,,,,.

Another point, with everything else in this world so easy to get - morning after pill, abortion, able to buy a gun in a mater of minutes, buy a car, buy alcohol,,,, should those who want help be able to get it?

Lets take the naval yard shooter for example. He could have easily bought an AR15 for his shooting spree. For the vast majority of people it is easier to buy an AR15 or AK47 then it is to get their prescription.

Prescription runs out, voices come back. Guy goes to pharmacy to get his medicine, is told prescription has run out and he needs to go to the doctor. Voices tell him, screw going to the doctor, go to the gun store and lets teach those bastards a lesson.

I don't know the answers man. I know that the mentally ill were dealt with much differently at one time. I'm not sure we want to go back to that, but our current system is not working. One big problem is that we've gone in a direction where if an individual does not want treatment for a mental disorder, then that is his or her choice. Well, that's just not acceptable in every situation. A paranoid schizophrenic should not have that choice in my opinion. And I've seen varying degrees of bipolar disorder. Some severe enough that I don't think that individual should have a choice either.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I don't know the answers man. I know that the mentally ill were dealt with much differently at one time. I'm not sure we want to go back to that, but our current system is not working. One big problem is that we've gone in a direction where if an individual does not want treatment for a mental disorder, then that is his or her choice. Well, that's just not acceptable in every situation. A paranoid schizophrenic should not have that choice in my opinion. And I've seen varying degrees of bipolar disorder. Some severe enough that I don't think that individual should have a choice either.

There is still a huge societal issue. If you
have a problem it's best hidden from many.