Can I Make an Appointment for my Daughter’s Brain?

No sorry, we don’t have any availability

My daughter suffers from emetophobia. Fear of vomiting. I’m not a fan myself. Really would prefer not to do it or be around it.

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images on Pixabay

Yesterday a girl in her class threw up on the floor, and she’s been in a panic ever since. It reminds me of the epiphany I had when we were on vacation in January. Check it out…

Eggo Waffles

I don’t want to diagnose her (not my forte), but what I’m seeing looks awfully familiar. I know what is going on in that brain of hers, because it goes on in this brain of mine. And if I’m right about this, then I may have just been kind enough to pass on my mental illness along with those big soul-piercing eyes.

Ahhh, epigenetics at its finest.

After trying to talk her off the ledge for a day and a half, I’m hitting a wall and my patience is waning. I need some help here.

So, this morning I spent over two hours trying to find a therapist. While we are lucky enough to have a fairly comprehensive health care plan through my husband’s job, it seems that someone really dropped the ball if we are looking at our dental and mental health options.

Who needs teeth… or a working brain for that matter?

Photo by Shahmie Mahmoud on Unsplash

Not important.

I’m on the phone with the representative at the insurance company explaining that my search results have the addresses of the providers listed as local, yet when I call they are more than 45 miles away from my home.

Not a problem ma’am. Let me send over a new list.

Yes! Thank you so much!

and then the list comes.

and it’s the same list that is already in front of me.

Here are some of my options:

• A telehealth-only provider — but my daughter prefers in-person, so that gets an x.
• A provider whose location is over an hour away — sooo, that’d be a dedicated three hours for every appointment…? Hard X.
• A therapist that has no ratings and also doesn’t specialize in any of the areas I need

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

OR!!!

Thank goodness, there’s another option! I was getting concerned.

• I could pay $1,250 until we finally meet our deductible for an out of network provider. Then, and only then, would I be able to pay our copay. But please don’t get too comfortable, because this resets every year.

I made 5 calls to providers that are in my area. Of the 5, only 1 actually met the criteria I was looking for. And who knows if she even has availability?

My county has 1.5 MILLION people in it. And there are 5!?

Why is this a thing?

I could go broke trying to help my child.

I could get a therapist that doesn’t provide the services that I want or need (ungrateful…at least they have an appointment!).

Or I could do nothing at all, which is not an option at this point.

WWYD — What would you do folks?

Yikes! I’m going to need another job.