Huge Mistake!

[Heather]

I completely understand why you're feeling these ways! I think it'd be pretty unusual for anyone not to be feeling the way that you are at this point. I'm sorry that you are, but it sure makes sense that you are.

Any psychiatrist who is licensed to prescribe medication is enough of an OCD specialist to at *least* get you started. But a general provider, a family doctor, can also be qualified to do that well, too. So, if the latter is who you can access, and the only person you can access, I personally think it's worth a shot.

I would also add this: does your college have a healthcare center? If it does, it may be that they have a prescribing psychiatrist on staff.

[Opal111]

It does have a psychiatrist on campus, however the fees go into my tuition. And my parents check what goes in and out for what is paid for. If they see it go up I’m done for.

[Heather]

Is there any chance the fees can be paid cash instead?

[Opal111]

It can be, but idk if i CAN afford it in cash..I’ll book an appt in the future this week to see if its affordable.

Edit: Do you have the extra resources in the email that I was gonna receive?

[Heather]

I understand that part, that you may or may not be able to afford it, but how about you find out if they offer a cash pay (and sometimes, cash pay services are even discounted by virtue of being cash pay), and what it costs, and we can brainstorm together from there if they do?

A phone call to that office should be able to quickly net you that information.

[Opal111]

That’s a great idea i’ll call later today. I’ve been cooking lunch for my family while we have this conversation and I just finished making my dishes!
Once again, thank you for the help, and the email with some respurces would be nice too! I’d like to be on top of things the best i can.

[Heather]

I haven't yet seen your email to reply (been a very busy week and day for me), but I'll look at it as soon as I can and one of us -- probably me -- will circle back.

I'm always glad to offer you what help we can, Opal. I'm rooting so hard for you. <3

[Opal111]

Thanks so much to you all. You guys are the closest thing I have to getting professional help, and your respurces and guidance is making this fear feel a lot more managable

[Heather]

I'm glad we can do that for you.

I'm sorry to say though that I think you may haver been accidentally given an email address we won't easily see emails from, which explains why I haven't seen yours yet! Can you resend to feedbackATscarleteenDOTcom? (You'll replace that AT with @ and the DOT with a dot, it's just if I put the email address in there that way, the box will wind up full of spam.)

[Opal111]

Okay, it has been sent! Hopefully it went through

[Heather]

It did, and I sent a reply back (we wind up in people's spam sometimes, so it's always worth a check if you don't see anything).