Unless you’re well-to-do, your early to mid-20’s most likely consists of scheming to live on the cheap.
You’re pinching pennies everywhere, from grocery bills to mark downs at the department store.
But saving money when you’re bipolar can be especially hard.
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I am lucky. First I had cobra insurance which cost me $600 a month with $20 copays, higher copays for meds. Now I am on Medicare. No copays for dr visits buts meds are high for meds. Right now my meds cost me about $500 a month. When I hit the donut hole I’ll be paying $800 a month. But I have to remember that if I didn’t have insurance my meds would be $1700 a month. One of my drugs Abilify is $600 along with Emsam at over $600 a month.
Good read! I was diagnosed last year and am a single female in my mid twenties. Agree, sometimes I think I can’t afford to have bipolar haha! I live in Australia so obviously costs of living/earnings vary too. I pay about $90 for a 10 minute GP visit to get scripts refilled every 3 months and that’s the only ‘medical management’ I receive, Medication is $75 per. month for Epilum. I received as a one off, 6 free visits to a psychologist this is part of an organised programme with my GP. I was diagnosed in my native New Zealand and the mental health system there seems to be way more accessible and better funded. Yes, the health costs associated with bipolar suck…and if that’s not bad enough dealing with the aftermath of random, impulsive purchases made while manic can also make for some financial worries…this is the bigger issue I face
I live in Canada. Weekly hour long therapist appointments are free. Regular, but as necessary, med check appointments with a psychiatrist are free. A government sponsored drug plan puts my meds (at a similar antidepressant + antipsychotic + tranquilizer regimen) is about $20 biweekly. Month long hospitalizations have also been free.
I know someone is paying for this along the road, but I’d probably be dead without this kind of support.
All the best to you.
Community mental health is an option. I see many young people with bipolar who have little to no income at no cost to them. They also see the psychiatrist and have a case manager help them keep their medication costs low.
Thanks so much for the article. I have been dealing with this for two weeks-and still have yet to get a psychiatrist through the county since I do not have insurance. If I wasn’t motivated I would definitely give up by now and continue to suffer-sad thing is there are more of them then me. I don’t understand giving disability for whatever but when it comes to people without insurance who need to see a psychoatrist a therapist and buy expensive meds without insurance you can get no help-or have to be rejected 3 times before they will help you-and then you need to hire a laywer. Catch 22. Must change. Your blog is a great start!!
I have to write again… I am on disability in the US. One of the poorest thought out systems is public aid. To get on disability for bipolar you have to have a medical history, psychiatric history, therapy history and potentially hospitalization history. Meanwhile you can’t work for a living wage for a year before getting disability… so how do you pay for treatment? Then once you get on disability you discover that you make too much for medicaid, too little for medical intervention and meds, and medicare doesn’t kick in for TWO years from the time you qualify for disability.
Carole, thank you so much for posting again and for this real life example. In my case, after many jobs that I had to quit due to illness, that I should think about disability. I thought it’d be a good idea for me, by the reigning psychiatrist told me I’d have to try ECT before he’d even consider it. Great. I looked into the process and it is insane. We need to do a lot to fix disability in our country. And let’s not forget the fact that you’re getting breadcrumbs from the government money-wise. Carole, please continue posting, I really appreciate your insight! -KAT
Carole, if you are on Social Security disability, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare immediately, so either you are on some sort of private disability or you need to contact your Social Security office to rectify the problem.
I know this because I finally was unable to continue working and am now on Social Security diability, with Medicare. Medicare isn’t nearly enough to cover the meds I need, but it’s better than nothing.
Being bipolar sucks at any age. In my case, I managed to work for 40 years, mostly undiagnosed and so, of course, untreated. I knew something was wrong with me, but kept trying (in spite of losing jobs, relationships, and everything else at an incredible pace) until ultimately everything fell completely apart a couple of years ago.
So here I am, in my “golden” years, with probably fewer options than the youngsters since it’s a sure bet no one’s going to give me a job. If I were still young and cute I might at least have a chance!
Good luck to us all – we need it!
There are other categories of costs having to do with being undiagnosed and/or untreated, of course.
There are the spending sprees that can wreck one’s finances for years and ruin one’s credit. (Of course, this can destroy one’ relationships as well.) This can include gambling. It can also spur stealing.
There are the doctor bills and expensive tests from some of the endless symptoms and conviction that something physically is wrong. Headaches and digestive problems and self inflicted injuries trying to ‘fix’ a physical problem in a agitated mania. (I’ve injured myself permanently and spent $1,000s trying to get help.) Doctors and nurses and Chiropractors and Rolfers and Naturopaths and Ayurvedic practitioners and alternative practitioners of all stripes. (I think these increase with age and lack of treatment.)
Then, if someone is self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, there is that costs, plus possible car accidents, maybe jail and lawyers (all of which I’ve experienced.)
Let’s not forget STDs from alcohol and/or mania fueled sexual promiscuity. Can ruin relationships again.
More health problems can be fueled by compulsive eating, not to mention the costs – always trying to fill that void and find peace.
How about the missed work/career opportunities from being sick or just plain unreliable from intermittent episodes/instability. Or maybe quitting or getting fired from a raqe?
The costs are devastating and come in many forms. I’m sure I’ve missed some.