Depression. Solutions??

Question

If you know someone who is more than likely suffering from clinical depression, and neither you nor they have the money to seek effective treatment, and health-care coverage (insurance) is not good enough to cover things, what options for treatment are out there?

Answer 1

In some communities there are mental health clinics that offer low-cost treatment and counseling so they may want to look into that. There are also some other options that you both may want to look into. If this person's depression is severe enough they may qualify for disability coverage such as SSI, or they may qualify for Medicaid. They can either contact the Social Security Administration about this or they can ask their doctor about it.

You can also contact some of these organizations for help as far as finding free and low-cost treatment.

NAMI (National Allliance for the Mentally Ill) They may have information on mental health care payments and coverage.

200 North Glebe Road, Suite 1015

Arlington, VA 22203-3754

703-524-7600

National Empowerment Center

20 Ballard Road

Lawrence, MA 01843

voice: 800-769-3728


Free Clinic Foundation of America (National Free Clinic Directory)

1240 Third Street, SW

Roanoke, VA 24016

540 344-8242


There is also a good website that offers state mental health resource guides. You can either click on the state on the U.S. map or use the drop down menu.
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/localandregional/l/blstate.htm

I hope this is helpful and I wish the both of you all the best.

Answer 2

One of the ways to treat depression is a psychological technique called 'Cognitive Therapy' or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy'. There are lots of sites that explain it on the net.

One of the leading exponents is Dr Aaron T Beck, who wrote the book 'Cognitive Therapy of Depression'. Its a bit dry and aimed more at doctors than patients, but it explains the technique in detail. Its based on changing the way a depressed person interprets events. A depressed person often sees the world through a sort of 'gloom filter'. Cognitive therapy gets them to write down their thoughts and chain of reasoning, look for mistaken beliefs and replace them with more realistic/ accurate/ healthier beliefs.

If you can't afford a therapist, then reading a book or one or two websites may help a bit. However, since depression carries a risk of suicide and often needs medication, you really need to explore every possible way to get proper medical help if you can. You need to at least get the person to tell you at an early stage that they are having suicidal thoughts so that you can contact a counseling organisation.

The 3rd link below is just a general search on Amazon for 'cognitive therapy depression', which turned up lots of other books on the same subject. One of these might be more suitable for ordinary patients.

Answer 3

Some states have funding to cover people in need of mental health services. Local community mental health clinics have information on this stuff... Also churches offer counseling free of charge...

Answer 4

like the first person said there places to help you. and when they send you to a social worker, the are just as good as psychologist. trust me, i have been seeing one for a year and i am doing great now. i hardly ever experience depression anymore. so go find a mental health clinic and see how they can help like the first person said!!

Answer 5

they could try some st.john's wort and the vitamin folic acid together. both cheap at walmart. it's worth a shot if they are not severely depressed.
st.john's wort has been to clinically be effective and the addition of folic acid has been show to increase the effectiveness of a serotonin uptake inhibitor (such as SJW)

Answer 6

a minister of a church sometime is trained to counsel and that doesn't cost anything