Posted by ratgrrl on October 13, 2003, at 21:08:47
In reply to Overwhelmed, posted by Little Monkey on October 13, 2003, at 13:59:34
You can get meds from drug companies if your income is low enough (as stjames suggests), however it can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks for the meds to come in (I know because I've gotten them this way before) and it sounds like you don't have that kind of time.
When my drug coverage ran out this year (much to my surprise) and I was left stranded, my doc gave me samples to get me through. Not all meds are liberally sampled by the drug companies, but many psychiatric meds are. Let your dr know your situation. It sounds like its temporary (until new insurance kicks in if I'm understanding you right). He/She may well be able to get you enough meds for the next few months. Be persistent and be clear about the seriousness of your situation. If a doctor knows the choice is either finding you meds or you going off of them cold turkey when you run out, they will often find meds for you. But they can't help if they don't know the situation. Even if your doc doesn't have the meds on hand, chances are, he/she knows someone who does.
My next suggestion may or may not be particularly helpful. I am rapid cycling bipolar and this fall has been particularly difficult for me. I've been going through a lot of med changes and the result is a delightful mix of withdrawal and untreated bp symptoms. It sounds like your primary support is your fiance. Same is true for me. My poor girlfriend was having to deal with work, school, and research in addition to a partner who was a drain of time and energy. She loves me, but there's only so much a person can take. To top it off, we both work and go to school in the same graduate department, so it's hard for her to talk to any of our friends about the situation because they know me and she didn't want to make me look bad.
It was in a mixed state of exhaustion and loneliness that we finally broke down and went to a support group for people with bipolar disorder or depression and their friends/family/partners. We thought we could do this ourselves, but we can't. It has been an unbelievable relief to talk to real people in the same boat. The group we went to is an affiliate of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and they are a national organization. Some chapters are better than others, but it may be worth a try to find a local one. This group is for people with depression as well as bp, so I think it would be a fine place for you to go with a diognosis of Dysthymia. Their website is http://www.dbsalliance.org/
Hope this helps a little,
ratgrrl
poster:ratgrrl
thread:268975
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031010/msgs/269142.html