How to Save Money on Mental Health Treatment

Getting help for mental illness is the responsible thing to do, and that’s because neither you nor your loved ones deserve to suffer for no reason. So, while there may be a slight stigma attached to mental health problems like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), that stigma may evaporate faster if people were more willing to seek counseling when it was needed.

Therapy can help you and your loved ones understand various mental health conditions better. With a licensed psychiatrist, you can also get prescribed medications to help you cope with your symptoms more efficiently. But dealing with mental illness can be costly whether you get help or not, so how do you save money on something so essential? Here’s what you need to know.

What is mental illness anyway?

A mental illness is an umbrella term describing a wide range of different mental and/or emotional maladies such as clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or OCD. Symptoms of mental health conditions can vary greatly depending on severity. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, for example, involves things like repetitive actions, irrational fears, ritualistic behaviors, and even social isolation.

In some cases, those symptoms may become extremely disruptive to someone’s life. So, to find out if you or a loved one has a mental health condition and need affordable treatment, start with a free self-evaluation at Mind Diagnostics.

Why is mental health treatment so important?

It may be painful or awkward to discover certain things about yourself or to get an official diagnosis from a mental health provider. But now that you have new information, it’s your duty to get the help you need. You wouldn’t pass the emergency room if you had a broken foot just because your friends will carry you around. So, don’t ignore the importance of mental health treatment just because you’ve learned to live with it.

Neglected mental illness can have serious, damaging effects on your life, especially if your condition won’t improve on its own or causes issues that spiral out of control. Untreated mental health problems can even result in failed marriages, lost jobs, and thoughts of or attempts at self-harm. So, don’t ignore the problem and think it will go away on its own. Sometimes, it just won’t.

3 ways to save money on mental health treatment

Since this is crucial and you can’t exactly clip coupons for mental health treatment, it’s a good idea to find creative ways of saving money on it. Remember, ignoring the problem may only make it worse. So, use these three tips to get what you need without breaking the bank:

#1. Find a provider that uses a sliding scale based on your income.

Many counselors will try to work with your budget to create the most affordable treatment plan. That means they’ll base your fees on your stated income instead of charging a fixed rate. You may have to submit some financial information to qualify, but it’s a terrific option for people who are uninsured or underinsured.

#2. Check out the free group resources in your community.

While talking about your private life around perfect strangers may not be ideal for everybody, free group therapies are available in almost every community. Group leaders teach various coping skills through mindful activities, and you get to form a bond with like-minded people who share the same struggles as you. You can also try out different forms of therapy such as Sound therapy, which you can learn and try without supervision.

#3. Try to get some of your counseling online.

Thanks to modern technology, you don’t have to leave your house to get help from a mental health professional. Online therapies are not only available but they’re getting more comprehensive and customizable every day. Choose the most convenient times and select your counselor based on your criteria instead of their credentials.

Keep in mind that you may also be able to get counseling from your local college or university clinic. However, those services aren’t always as comprehensive as some patients need them to be. Plus, you may have a hard time getting in because their appointment book is almost always full.

TIP: Put yourself on the waiting list anyway because it’s never a bad idea to have a backup plan.

When to get help for mental illness

Seek immediate mental health treatment if you or someone you know is feeling extremely depressed or having thoughts of self-harm. Moreover, book an appointment if your symptoms have become disruptive to your personal and/or professional life. You don’t have to suffer in silence, nor do you have to go broke to get help. Whether you’re dealing with depression, PTSD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, there are affordable resources for you to use.

The takeaway

Ignoring your mental condition may be the worst decision of your life, but you’ll never know that if you don’t find out what’s wrong. So, do a self-evaluation to save some money and then seek counseling from a source that’s both affordable and convenient.