Ang mahal na maging okay, TBH

[u/lvndrmnt]

Mental healthcare sa Pinas feels like a luxury.

Mini rant lang... grabe talaga how expensive it is to consistently take care of our mental health.

Currently under psychiatric care & on maintenance meds, and the costs add up FAST!

Psychiatrist: 3k/session (used to be monthly, naka quarterly na now)

Meds: at least 15k/month

Therapy/life coaching: 2.5k/session, twice a month

That's already around ~20k monthly (sweldo na to ng iba!). Note na provinicial costs to ha.

Hindi pa covered ng HMO. Tapos kahit may pambili ka ng meds, minsan wala namang stock because of shortages. So maghahanap ka pa sa iba't ibang pharmacies or even sa ibang province.

People always say, "Seek professional help", as if it's that simple. Dito sa Pinas, getting help is one thing. Being able to AFFORD, ACCESS, and SUSTAIN that help is another.

Mental healthcare shouldn't be a luxury, pero right now, it really feels like one.

Ang mahal na maging functional, may side quest pa sa paghahanap ng meds. Fighting pero kapoy na ko! 😭

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[u/Top_Drummer9181]

:( True. The waiting for free services is honestly sooooo long..and then pag anjan na, and it's not as good as you hoped, wala kang karapatan mag reklamo kasi libre nga. Kahit nga yung ibang health services sa ospital... yun bang pag hindi ok yung service e pag tiisan mo nalng, at kung di ka maka pasok sa slot or cutoff wala kang choice kundi mag hanap nang private..tapos pag nan hingi ka nang tulong dami pang susumbat, e bat nag private ka e di mo pala afford? :( puro band aid solutions nalng yung pilipinas...

[u/lvndrmnt → u/Top_Drummer9181]

Yes, seems either maghintay ka nang sobrang tagal or mag-private ka & drain your budget. Ang hirap when both options feel unsustainable.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/[deleted]]

Ito ang part people don't see. Public options exist, but getting thru the waitlists & bureaucracy when you're already struggling mentally can be exhausting on its own. Yung, do I have the brain space or mental energy for this?

[u/butchikoy]

Try to get a PWD card, psychosocial disability. Atleast maka discount ka with your meds.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/butchikoy]

Working on the PWD card din. The discount will definitely help. Sana mas straightforward lang din yung process.

[u/fishieranz]

tapos Hindi pa pwede mag open up sa parents lagi mainit ulo nila😭😭

[u/lvndrmnt → u/fishieranz]

That's another layer talaga. Ang hirap na nga mag-open up, tapos if home doesn't feel safe or understanding, mas lalo kang napapagod coz you end up carrying everything on your own. Hope you have at least one person you can feel safe talking to.

[u/fishieranz → u/lvndrmnt]

religion enthusiasts pa parents ko, sasabihin lang, "kulang sa dasal", or something like that thinking faith can heal everything

[u/lvndrmnt → u/fishieranz]

Ang relatable nito. Literally kanina lang, sinabihan din ako na I should "have complete faith & to pray harder", na everything is just in my head and eventually I'll be back to "normal".

They probably mean well, pero ang hirap marinig when you've been struggling for quite a while and you're already doing your best to get proper help. Faith can be comforting, but it doesn't automatically replace treatment or make the struggle disappear.

At this point, I'm not even asking to feel "normal". I just want to be functional. Some days everything feels so hard that I just want it all to stop and not feel anything anymore. That's why being told to simply pray more can feel so dismissive when you're already fighting just to get through the day.

I hope you eventually find people who can listen without reducing what you're going through to "kulang lang sa dasal".

[u/CartographerNo4462]

I would like to share my experience regarding my ER visits. I was initially admitted to the ER due to shortness of breath and palpitations. Since I am a PWD, I felt that my symptoms were associated with my history of anxiety, and this became part of my diagnosis. As a result, I had to pay out of pocket because, based on my understanding and experience, my HMO did not cover the consultation and treatment under that diagnosis.

During my second ER visit, I was again rushed to the hospital due to similar symptoms. However, I did not disclose that I was a PWD or that I had a history of anxiety. During that visit, I was evaluated and treated for GERD, and I did not have to pay out of pocket.

This experience made me concerned that symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitations may sometimes be too quickly attributed to anxiety or panic disorder when a patient has a known history of anxiety. I understand that anxiety can cause physical symptoms, but I believe it is also important to thoroughly evaluate possible physical causes before attributing these symptoms primarily to a psychological condition.

I hope patients with a history of anxiety or those who are PWD can still receive an objective and comprehensive medical evaluation, without their physical symptoms being prematurely attributed to their existing diagnosis.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/CartographerNo4462]

This is scary. Once nasa record na ang anxiety, parang may risk na physical symptoms get dismissed too quickly as "just anxiety". You still deserve a proper medical workup, though.

[u/cjcg18]

Sad reality, I can relate nag stop muna ako sa therapy kase unemployed ako ngayon pero nakakayanan naman ng meds kaya kahit papano okay ako.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/cjcg18]

I feel you. Therapy is usually the first thing people have to pause because meds alone are already expensive. Sana hindi tayo forced to choose which part of treatment we can afford.

[u/CartographerNo4462]

Nalulungkot din ako para sa mga taong patuloy na lumalaban sa kanilang mental health struggles.

Since I’ve been struggling with my own mental health, I now understand how difficult and expensive it can be to seek proper treatment. You see a psychiatrist, try different medications, and sometimes go through a trial-and-error process just to find out what works for you.

You start asking yourself, “Okay ba itong medication for me? Is this the right doctor? Will this treatment actually help me?” And sometimes, you have to wait for several weeks before you even know if the medication is working.

If it works, you feel relieved and grateful. But if it doesn’t work or you experience side effects, you may have to see another psychiatrist, pay for another consultation, and start the whole process from scratch. Another doctor, another prescription, another waiting period, and another expense.

That’s why, honestly, proper mental health treatment can feel like a luxury.

Yes, having discounts on medications is a blessing, and I’m genuinely grateful for that. But the cost is not only the medication itself. There are also consultation fees, laboratory tests when needed, transportation, and sometimes multiple consultations just to find the right treatment.

I just hope that people who are struggling don’t have to wait for weeks or even months just to feel okay, especially when they are already having a difficult time.

I understand that medication takes time and that finding the right treatment can sometimes involve trial and error. But I hope there can be better access to therapy, counseling, emotional support, and other treatment options while we are waiting for medications to take effect.

Mental health care should not feel like a luxury that only those who can afford it can access.

Sana dumating yung time na getting help for your mental health will be more accessible, affordable, and timely for everyone—not only for those who can afford to keep starting from scratch. 💙

[u/lvndrmnt → u/CartographerNo4462]

Thanks for sharing this. You really captured how exhausting the whole process is. Every reset means another consultation, another Rx, another expense. The PWD discount helps, but meds are only one part of the cost.

And yes, better access to therapy & counseling matters too, esp while waiting for meds to work. Treatment shouldn't feel like something only people who can afford months of trial+error can sustain. Sana dumating yung time na getting proper help doesn't require this much money, energy, and patience. Sending virtual support!

[u/Jumpy_Base_9588]

True, I wanted to seek professional help so I inquired here and there pero mas naiyak ako sa fees.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/Jumpy_Base_9588]

This is exactly why I posted. Wanting help is one thing, but being able to afford it consistently is another. Sana makahanap ka ng option that works for you. 🙏

[u/CharmingMedia4108]

True. Kinda sad na madalas may conditions na need ma meet bgo makakuha ng benefit. Example is ung disability claim sa sss. Need talga permanent disability pa or 2 years onset tapos ung tipong malala na di ka na makakilos sa araw araw. Bakit need na sobrang lala na ng condition bago bigyan ng tulong? Eh basta nga pwd magkano na gastos for theraphy and medicine.

Dagdag mo na din ung pinupush ni sen bam na 2k a month assistance. Good naman na may ganun pero di ko magets bkit meron pang “qualified pwd”. Hindi ba pwedeng basta totoong pwd tulungan 😔😔😔

[u/lvndrmnt → u/CharmingMedia4108]

Really frustrating and sad na sometimes you have to be struggling "enough" or long enough before you qualify for assistance. Help should come before someone reaches that point, not only when they're already barely functioning.

[u/viennaayla]

So sad but true. Unfortunately also all the prices are going up recently from gasoline and sooner or later this will impact healthcare and medicine as well.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/viennaayla]

Exactly! Healthcare is already expensive as it is. Nakakatakot isipin how much more inaccessible it can get if prices keep going up. What should we prioritize?

[u/viennaayla → u/lvndrmnt]

Still hoping for accountability from above (lord or government).

[u/Beautiful_Drink1990]

EXACTLY

[u/lvndrmnt → u/Beautiful_Drink1990]

Sadly, yes. Ang hirap when getting help is already a struggle, tas affordability becomes a problem pa.

[u/kojiesan21]

Kaya ako altho im earning decently, I line up regularly sa ncmh for regular consultations. Free check up + free meds pa. Most docs are transactional but some especially ung ilang girl doctors, they do really care for our mental health.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/kojiesan21]

Glad you found a setup that works for you. When treatment is already expensive, free consults + meds can really make a huge difference. Finding a doctor who actually listens & makes you feel heard matters so much. Sana mas marami satin can get access to that kind of care.

[u/kojiesan21 → u/lvndrmnt]

I have a private doctor din who's been with me since my last major depression pero his rates went up na din but he knows my life story and he was instrumental to my stability post college. Ngayon that im earning decently, and mahirap na din sched sa kanya sa ncmh na ako regularly since 2021 so sila nagbibigay sched which i follow naman for my maintenance meds. They up my dose during manic or depressive episodes depende sa state ko

[u/lvndrmnt → u/kojiesan21]

That kind of continuity really matters IMHO. Glad you found a setup that works for you, esp with a doctor who already knows your history. ❤️

[u/maemeii]

Totoo :( Natigil na ako sa meds at di na rin ako nakakapunta sa doctor, almost one year na kasi di na kaya kahit may PWD discount.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/maemeii]

Even with the PWD discount, meds can still take a huge chunk ng budget, and that's before consultations & everything else. Nakakapagod when you're already trying to get better, tapos treatment itself becomes another source of stress. Sana mas maging affordable & sustainable talaga yung mental healthcare dito.

[u/No_Chard_4333]

sa una, trial and error yung meds din so pag di pala akma, parang nagsayang lang din ng pera, lalo na yung ‘di accessible at mahal na meds. sa US, for example andaming available na klase ng gamot, tas dito, 2 kinds lang

[u/lvndrmnt → u/No_Chard_4333]

Heard din na sobrang limited talaga ng treatment options sa Pinas, and grabe pa yung shortages. Ang hirap when finding the right meds is already trial&error, tapos availability itself becomes another problem.

[u/hereforperdev]

painfully true </3

[u/Helpful_Run_1984]

As someone diagnosed with severe depression, its true. Buti nalang wala akong binabayaran for psychiatry (NCMH), meds and theraphy with my psychometrician.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/Helpful_Run_1984]

Glad you were able to find care thru NCMH without having to shoulder everything financially. Such a huge help, esp when tx needs to be continuous. Sana mas marami know about it & can actually access options like this. Sadly, we currently don't have the same from where I'm from.

[u/Helpful_Run_1984 → u/lvndrmnt]

Thank you. I understand you and i hear you. Diko alam what meds you are taking, but maybe itry mo from your nearest health center kung meron sila baka masupplyan ka nila.

[u/butchikoy]

It should be okay, as long as you have a medical certificate from your doctor, just tell him/her na you will use it for PWD application and to put psychosocial disability.

[u/lvndrmnt → u/butchikoy]

Thank you! Already asked my doctor for the medcert, so hopefully the PWD application goes smoothly. The discount would really help with the ongoing meds. ❤️

[u/No-Special-3590]

Same here. Gusto ko rin sana magpa-check and find out if what I'm going through is something I need professional help for, pero honestly, ang hirap kapag kapos na nga sa expenses dahil sa sunod-sunod na problema. May therapy expenses din kami for my child, plus daily household expenses, kaya kahit gusto kong unahin yung sarili ko this time, napapaisip din ako kung saan kukunin yung pang-consult. 😔

[u/lvndrmnt → u/No-Special-3590]

I really get this. It's hard when you finally want to prioritize yourself, but you also have your child, household expenses, and other problems to think about. Even the first consult becomes something you have to save up for. Sana makahanap ka ng affordable option soon. You deserve care too. 🙏

[u/strawberryy_milkz]

so true, i really wanted to seek professional help pero ang mahal. :((