My doctor gave me a referral to a psychiatrist for OCD, but I don't think I can afford it, what do I do?

Question

How much would it cost a visit and how many visits would I need (mild OCD)? I know you can get social assistance for things like that, but I'm not poor...just no left over money right now (mortgage, car payments, groceries, etc.). My work plan covers everything except psychiatry...I don't know why, I even have a referral from a doctor. But it does cover $200 for a psychologist...but they can't give medication, I guess they can provide some help. Also I'm fully covered for counseling, but I don't know what good that is going to be. I guess what I need to know is the cost and how many visits I need...then I can start saving.

The thing is...I need someone that can treat OCD, give medications and is specialized. That's why I have a referral. Counseling is not going to work.

Maybe I can see a psychologist and my doctor can prescribe medication?? Or can only a psychiatrist do that?

Answer 1

You can usually see a psychologist, then talk to a psychiatrist. They will conference and decide a medication to put you on and the psychiatrist will prescribe it. You will most likely see your psychologist once a week or whatever, and the psychiatrist maybe once a month, then every 3 months, etc.

Answer 2

Jan B has some good things to say about OCD. If you don't have much idea about the subject, look up the link she sent.

Treatment for OCD varies and different people have different opinions about it. It also depends on the severity, and to what extent its affecting your life.

Definitely set up one appointment with a behavioral therapist (OCD therapist). Even if you pay $200 for that first visit, the therapist will be able to give you a professional opinion of how severe your condition really is.
A good therapist will be able to asses your situation and let you know what course of action to take.

Therapy sessions & Medication are the two big courses of action you can take.

Individual cognitive behaivioral therapy (CBT) sessions, I believe, are the most expensive, but also the most effective in many cases. But therapy won't work for you unless you put effort into it. A therapist can only show you the way. You have to take it. and its hard. A therapy session costs around $200 - $250. Depending on your condition, you might have to have a session a week, or a session a month, or 2 months. Your therapist will be able to tell you how often. If you are close to a university that has a psychology clinic, then you can arrange for therapy sessions with a final year graduate student. It usually costs less. My sister used this method, and found it good and cost-effective.

Medication is relatively easy. You take a pill, and youre done for the day. Well, not exactly. I dont personally know anybody who took medication for OCD, but I think that it should be reserved as a last resort. In my opinion, medication should only be taken:
a) as an aid to therapy sessions
b) if youre not able to control your ocd through therapy sessions, and your therapist recommends medication as a possibility.

But everybody is different, and here are some alternative things to consider as well:

Homeopathy:
Homeopathy, atleast to my understanding, isn't an exact science. But if you look on the internet, it has produced some significant results for some people with OCD. Initial consultation is about $300, but thats pretty much all the expense. Homeopathic medicine costs between $5 to $50, and usually one box of pellets lasts for about 3 months.

Naturopathy:
While homeopathy relies on listening to your condition and prescribing a wholistic cure for your body, naturopathy concentrates on finding what essential chemicals are deficient or over in your body. A series of tests are run, and in the end, medicine is prescribed to make sure your body has the right balance of vitamins and fluids. A friend of mine used this method, and it cost him between $500 and $1500, but its a one-time test.

Mercury poisoning:
If youve had tooth fillings, some say that the mercury in the fillings can affect your brain, causing the ocd. Check with your dentist if your tooth fillings have mercury in it.

Answer 3

Your insurance says no psychiatrist???
There is a possibility (according to which state you are in ) that this particular stipulation by your insurance company may be illegal. I believe, Mental health is supposed to cost the same and be equally covered as other medical appointments.
However, insurance companies can stipulate that the psychiatrist is to limit services to medication visits only.

Run this by your local Mental Health clinic.

Therapy by a psychologist or other licensed counselor is something you will find to be very beneficial. $200, though just doesn't get you very far.

Answer 4

it is about the effect it has on your life and the purpose it is serving rather than what you are actually doing. OCD is about controlling anxiety. If you stop these behaviours there is no no doubt your anxiety would be huge...this is a sign that tells you that it is not ok. One day you will find someone whom you trust enough to believe that it is not ok and be ready to do something about it. OCD respons so well to CBT and treatment and will free up your life so much, Can you imagine waking up one day and not thinking about cleaning? Its a bit like anorexia...you cant imagine ever thinking it is going to be ok to eat....but one day after treatment it is.... Perhaps you could consider the help offered to you..maybe just maybe you are the one with the problem and I can guarantee you that it will only get worse... Get on top of it now before it totally controls your life...OCD wastes so many years being focussed on things that are so low in the importance scale.

Answer 5

sometimes communtiy colleges offer counseling through a student program. Usually these are either graduates or almost graduates under professors direction. The pay is usually slide scale. Call around. Good Luck.

Answer 6

I have OCD and on my very first visit to the therapist she wrote me a precription (I recommend Zoloft- my mom has OCD to and she take it as well) I had to pay out of pocket too. Seems like if 50% of America is on some sort of head-pills insurance would take notice..... you'd think.=)

Answer 7

It's varies, but it's usually somewhere between $90-$200. You usually go once a month.

Answer 8

Try your county mental health office. Usually it's very reduced cost for people who have insurance, or free for people who don't.

Answer 9

Check with your county re: mental health assistance. Check into "free" clinics as well.

Answer 10

You never said what you obc was.
so thiis is a bit hard to answer. If you want answer start looking all over the net Be sure to check out all meds and what the side effects are. be sure they are safe for you don't just take pills blindly ask questions. If he get angry with you and trys to treat you like your stupid change doctors.
Any doctor woth his salt is one that will imform you of the bad with the good. and if he hesitate. probably he is just a pill pushes. Your of now interest you just have a dollar sign on your back.




here is a place to start

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ocd): Topic Overview

ArticleTopic OverviewHealth ToolsCauseSymptomsWhat HappensWhat Increases Your RiskWhen To Call a DoctorExams and TestsTreatment OverviewPreventionHome TreatmentMedicationsSurgeryOther TreatmentOther Places To Get HelpRelated InformationReferencesCredits content provided by Healthwise
Topic Overview

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What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a potentially disabling anxiety disorder. A person who has OCD has intrusive and unwanted thoughts and repeatedly performs tasks to get rid of the thoughts. For example, if you have OCD, you may fear that everything you touch is contaminated with germs, and in order to ease that fear, you repeatedly wash your hands.

The effects of OCD range from mild to severe. OCD can disrupt your social life and relationships as well as your ability to work or go to school. 1

What causes OCD?
Researchers have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of OCD, but they are studying brain abnormalities, genetic (family) influences, and environmental factors. Brain scans in people with OCD have shown that they have different patterns of brain activity than those without OCD and that abnormal functioning of circuitry within a certain part of the brain (striatum) may be related to the disorder. Abnormalities in other parts of the brain and an imbalance of brain chemicals, especially serotonin, may also contribute to OCD. 2

What are the symptoms?
OCD is a chronic or long-term illness, and the symptoms typically increase and decrease over time. Treatment can reduce the severity, but some symptoms may linger after you begin treatment. Anxiety is the most common symptom of OCD. For example, you may have an overall sense that something terrible will happen if you don't follow through with a particular ritual, such as repeatedly checking to see whether the stove is on. If you fail to perform the ritual, you may have immediate anxiety or a nagging sense of incompleteness.

Symptoms of OCD include: 3

Obsessions, which are recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas, and impulses that interrupt normal thinking and cause anxiety or fear. The thoughts may be sexual or violent or create a concern of illness. Examples include:
Persistent fear of harm to yourself or a loved one.
An excessive need to do things perfectly or correctly.
A fear of contamination.
Compulsions, which are behaviors or rituals that are repeated intentionally to try to control the obsessions. Some people have rituals that are rigid and structured, while others have very complex rituals that change. Examples include:
Washing or checking that something has been done.
Counting, often while doing another compulsive action, such as hand-washing.
Repeating things or endlessly rearranging items to keep them in perfect alignment.
Hoarding.
Praying.
People vary in their understanding of their obsessions and compulsions. Sometimes they may recognize their obsessions and compulsions as unrealistic, and at other times they may be unsure of or believe strongly in their fears.

How is OCD diagnosed?
A diagnosis of OCD is based on your symptoms, your medical history, and a physical examination. Many people with OCD live with the condition for years and go without treatment because they are afraid or embarrassed to talk to a health professional.

Symptoms that confirm a diagnosis of OCD may include: 2

Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and inappropriate, cause anxiety or distress, and are not simply excessive worries about real-life issues.
Attempts to suppress or ignore the thoughts or get rid of them with other thoughts or actions.
A recognition that the obsessions are created in your own mind and do not make sense.
Repetitive behaviors--such as hand-washing, ordering, praying, or checking--that you're driven to do in response to the obsession. The behaviors are done to prevent or reduce distress or prevent a dreaded event.
In OCD, the obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (more than 1 hour a day), greatly interfere with your normal routine at work or school, and affect social activities and relationships.

How is it treated?
Treatment for OCD includes counseling and medicines. Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (for example, Prozac), are most commonly used. Your doctor may increase the dosage of your medicine or change to another SSRI if the first medicine prescribed doesn't help. It may take several weeks before you feel the effects of an antidepressant and it begins to affect thoughts and behavior.

Counseling used to treat OCD includes exposure and response prevention, a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Exposure and response prevention is behavorial therapy that provides gradually increasing contact with the feared obsession so that anxiety is reduced. For example, if you were obsessed about germ contamination, you would repeatedly touch an object you believe is contaminated and not wash your hands afterward. You would repeat that behavior until your anxiety was reduced. Cognitive therapy may also be used to help overcome the faulty beliefs (such as fear of contamination) that lead to OCD behaviors.

The most effective treatment for OCD may be using both counseling and medicines.

Frequently Asked Questions
Learning about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD):
What is OCD?
What causes OCD?
What are the symptoms of OCD?
What happens when OCD develops?
What increases my risk for OCD?
Who is affected by OCD?

Being diagnosed:
Who can diagnose OCD?
How is OCD diagnosed?
What is a mental health assessment?

Getting treatment:
How is OCD treated?
What medicines will I need to take?
Can professional counseling help with the behaviors of OCD?
Should I take medicines to treat my OCD?

Ongoing concerns:
Are there lifestyle changes I can make to help reduce my symptoms?
Is help available for my family?

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder:
How can family members cope with OCD?