How to deal with depression when you're broke?
I'm a 26 year old still living with his mom and 2 older brothers (soon to be one in a few weeks because of some major legal issues with one of my brothers). Since my dad died 8 years ago, my family has been struggling financially, and I can't afford the help that I desperately need. I can't get a job because I have no confidence (as a result of some major dental work that I need, but once again can't even come close to affording). Basically I see no possibility of a positive future because I can't afford to fix these dental problems (which would certainly help my self esteem). Since I lost my health insurance a month ago when I turned 26, I can no longer afford my lexapro prescription, which only makes things that much worse. At this point I have no clue what to do with myself. How can I possibly get better when I have no money whatsoever? Even though I know I need it, I haven't even begun to think about seeing a therapist. (Even if it's through this website, which I STILL couldn't afford). Long story short, I need advice on what I could possibly do to fix this situation, because I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
@southjerseysteve Sounds like you're going through a lot of tough situations right now.
Everywhere is different, I know, but if you're in the US you can try to check for free mental health care resources near you online. I have personally been able to find counseling, therapy and assistance with getting anti-depressants and other psychiactric medicine in both larger cities as well as smaller, more rural areas. It's not always easy to find clinics like this, and it can mean waiting lists for therapy and long waiting room waits for walk in appointments -- but it can very much be worth it when you are in need of help.
Wish you the best, and I hope things start looking up for you soon!
@southjerseysteve
I'm between jobs myself right now, but am able to get therapy and counseling through government insurance. Although I didn't even know it was an option till I was hospitalized and given the opportunity by one of the nurses, who refered me to a clinic that took medicaid. All my prescriptions are a dollar and my therapy is free. I'm even afforded a short allowance for dental, but that's different depending on what provider you choose through medicaid so I'd do some research.
If you're outside the states, I'm not sure what your options might be. But I'd start my research with a local hospital or free clinic, and ask if they have any information about getting mental health care on "low income".
If it turns out that professional help is unavailable through any means, you might think about certain homeopathic remedies. Meditation, St. John's Wart (which might help some people with depression although your milage may vary), regular self care, the whole nine that you've probably heard before. You also might think about looking into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and trying some of the methods on yourself. 7cups has a wonderful guide on this, where you can learn about how to try and challenge some of the destructive thinking patterns that come with depression. http://www.7cups.com/depression-help-online/lesson1.html
When all else fails I personally love the idea of distraction. This varies for everyone depending what you like to do, but video games are amazing for this because they combine doing something constructive (most of the time) with a good dose of brain numbing. You might also find you like reading, painting, drawing, building little silly things with legos, teaching yourself coding and making little apps, basically anything that you can CREATE with. It gives you a wonderful sense of accomplishment as well as staving off depressive thoughts while your mind and hands are occupied.
If all that seems like a bit much to get into right now, here are some cool sites that I've found can help distract/help you when you're going through a tough time:
https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome (this one I highly recommend, because it involves a kind of interactive training with CBT)
http://thequietplaceproject.com/thethoughtsroom/ (good for getting thoughts out and turning them into stars where they can't hurt you anymore, although the process can be very emotional I've found.)
https://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat/videos (these videos about Simon's Cat are just adorable and a fun time waster/mood booster)
http://weavesilk.com/ (DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? THIS IS AMAZING. TRY IT)
http://orteil.dashnet.org/experiments/cookie/ (the original cookie clicker. Easy to get addicted to)
Basically to sum this all up, there are always options! It's really hard sometimes to look at the long term and see how you might get out of your current situation, but that situation is NOT your final destination! Sometimes the best we can do is take it day by day, and I hope some of the suggestions here will help you do just that.
We care about you, and I hope you're able to find the help that you need. <3
