The mental health strikes… an update from the perspective of a patient
I blame Kaiser for doing this to me. I haven’t had healthcare for the past 5 months. I’m a high risk patient with a 98 behavioral health index score. I was raped this time last year, I’ve been seeing a therapist since I was 16 at Kaiser when I was first hospitalized for a suicide attempt. I got hospitalized again when I was 18, my diagnosis include major depressive disorder, PTSD, and anxiety. Kaiser has put my healthcare provider, an amazing therapist who advocated for me even when they were forcing her to space appointments out during my lowest, in a position where she can no longer work. I’ve been paying for healthcare this entire time as well and I’ve received nothing. Therapists have received nothing. There’s nothing. I feel so so so so so extremely lost I’m suffering. I’ve never gone this long without mental health care. And they said the soonest available appointment with my therapist is automatically set for June 30th. They want me to wait 10 months with nothing. I’m only 20, I’ve got such an extensive trauma history and I’m so scared about what will happen if I continue without care. My therapist was so good, she saved my life. I don’t know what to do but there seems to be a lack of news on this and I wanted to at least contribute what my experience has been in case others might relate right now.