Scarleteen

Hi there,
I really didn't know where to put this, and the last thing I want to do is waste your time so if this topic is out of your realm of resources, let me know and I completely understand. The reason that I come here is that typically you give a lot of good information and you might know where to redirect me.
I've always struggled with anxiety and panics, but lately it's gotten so much worse. I have obsessive thoughts that keep me up and night and I can never do anything without thinking them. I would love to reach out to someone and get professional help but the fact is that I cannot afford it. I'm a college student barely paying my way through, my brother is attending a very expensive private school and my parents are barely making ends meet. We have health insurance but with a high deductible.
I have tried going to my school's counselor but she started to CRY during our session so I am not comfortable at all returning there. I have also approached my mom asking if she could help me get help and she responded with "We really don't have the money. Also, maybe if you had Jesus you wouldn't be feeling this way."
So I'm really at a loss. I feel like I can't live inside my own head anymore and I just don't know where to turn. If you know of any resources, or could brainstorm any ideas with me I would appreciate it so, so much. Thank you

Hi Bgrace,

First I'd just like to let you know how much I admire that you are taking such an active role in your mental healthcare and well being, even when you are not getting much support.

Helping you locate services you are comfortable with is certainly something that we can do! You can use our Help Near You tool or give use more specifics about your location (zip and/or county) and we can help find something.

In the meantime, I want to pass along a couple articles for you to look at focused on anxiety and self care.

Anxiety Lies
Self-Care a La Carte

I'll definitely check out those articles, thank you.

For some reason the Help Near You tool isn't working for me - or maybe there's nothing close by. The page comes up blank every time, am I doing something wrong?

Hey there,

I want to say, too, that I admire you for being so strong and seeking out help for this issue. Often, it's admitting that you need help and the process of finding it that's the hardest part.

I personally wouldn't be able to direct you to any places, but if you went to a healthcare professional or counselor(not necessarily the same one you went to before) and asked for some therapy recommendations they would likely refer you. There are many great organizations out there that do their best to make sure that they're services are easily affordable for people with a low income. You could also try going to your regular doctor, if that wouldn't be a problem, and getting a referral to a therapist from them. When I started looking for therapists, one of the things that I did was ask around. If you know anyone in therapy you can ask them where they go, and get them to get recommendations from their own therapists and look them up online.

In the meantime, reading up on some of the self-care articles and books may help you learn how to better cope with your symptoms. It is not the same as having a therapist, but it can hopefully make things more manageable.

I hope this helped and that you can work something out. Just by seeking out help you're already closer to getting better, now it's just a matter of finding the best help for you.

Bgrace,

checking into the Help Near You page. It is giving me some trouble as well. In the mean time Kittens has given some great suggestions. Going through a healthcare provider you know and trust can be helpful. If you give me more information about your location (zip or county) I can help you locate some services that use a sliding fee scale.

I assume you're in Monetery, CA? If so, have you checked out this group of community services that are low or no cost?

http://www.chservices.org/mental-health/