Expert: Libby Bonner - 8/20/2007

Question
Where do you turn when as a bipolar 1 person, you have been fired 3 times in a year, started meds and counseling but due to job loss, also lose insurance, cannot afford to continue treatments therefore out of control depression and mania cycle does not end?  Now what does a bp1 do? Where do you go? Who can help now? Savings have been blown away.

Answer
Sorry you are in such difficulty.  I will get you started w/ some suggestions.  But your best help will be local - though I do hope "local" means you are in or near a metro area where resources are more abundant.  Or that you can find a way to get to one, and stay long enough to become more stable.

If you need to write me again, pls give me your age, age at diagnosis, last meds your were on.  

Also I need you to think hard about who can be sources of personal help to you - family [any and all, cousins, even, and regardless of whether they live close by], friends, teachers/ex-teachers, ministers....absolutely anyone who feels kindly toward you and might offer tangible support, large or small, or emotional support.

It will be easiest, probaby, to find a doc and get meds, than to get money and a roof over your head.....though 'getting money' varies greatly from state to state and even w/in states, if "township trustees," for instance, administer emergency funds.  [The dept of human services, farther down, probably knows.]

I would start by asking your last counselor/s for suggestions on what to do.  Also your doc, or docs.  Follow up on whatever is reasonable.  IF you are not in the best shape to do that right now, try HARD to find food, shelter AND someone to HELP YOU find help.

Other places for help.  Free health clinics.  Their supply of meds varies, and they cannot write Rx, but they can fill Rxs if they have the med on hand.

If in a metro area:  the tax-funded hospital.  See if they have a program for "indigent pts" or whatever they may call it.  Could have both docs and meds.

In Yellow Pages:  try under social and human services; also clinics, the latter to identify a community mental health center....though your ex-counselor or doc may know name.  

Find your county/city/state Dept of Human Services - try to go in and see what various things they can provide or help with.

Try calling or visiting the United Way.

If you have a chapter of the Mental Health Association, try them - check in google; I think they just changed their name.

Try www.nami.org, both the state office and any local group.  They may have a good sense of local resources.

Women's shelters.  Food banks.  Call both to see how to qualify.  United Way might be able to tell you about both.

If you still have a roof, even until Aug 31, get ANYONE you can [who is a safe person] and ask for their help in moving your things to a temporary safe dry place, so that you don't have to start all over again....w/ belongings tossed out onto street.

Here is an ongoing source for free meds....depending on what you take:  www.pparx.org   Rules, etc., vary by manufacturer, but with a doc's Rx and/or letter, you might be able to get some essential meds for several months.

Depending on your age and history, it may be that you can or should apply for disability.  It's something to explore after you get connected w/ a community mental health center.  I do see a CMHC as being at the core of any solution/s that you can find....and would hope you could stay connected to a good one virtually forever.  They have many, many services - no longer free, but I hope low cost - that you will need, off and on.

If there is someone who would help you if they only believed that you are REALLY SICK and not 'just irresponsible' pls have them write me, if they would. Do not, yourself, count anyone out.  It's easy for people who like and love you to become VERY confused about behavior - so I hope you will meet anyone halfway, w/ whom you have been at odds in the past, if you think they could be recruited now to be on your side and help you.

IF running down all this info costs a lot of pay-phone quarters, see if there is a a shelter or some other agency where you could make free local calls.  

A hospital ER will not be much help even is your were suicidal - you would be out in 72 hours.....so: do go IF you really are, but they cannot be counted on for bed and board anymore for very long.

Write again at once if you have important info, or questions, or just needto talk.  I KNOW that some of your problems can get solved soon-ish, and getting those solved will help you move toward solving others.