The times when you can get care when you need it are only at the most severe moments.
It's sort of silly because there's tons of people that are struggling to not get to that
point and want care, but the reality is if they got to that point, they would get care.
But again, the system fails because as soon as you're down from that point, you're released
from the program and you're back to still struggling, but without care.
They tell you ahead of time that if you don't get referred to the adult side before you
turn 18, you're going to wait a long time.
So I went a year and a half without any care, seeing a therapist, not even the option to
see anybody because you said couldn't take me and adults couldn't take me yet either.
So it's kind of a big lull for long-term care.
It's pretty much non-existent.
For instance, therapy, you only get 10 to 12 sessions.
Once you're stable, you're pretty much out of there.
And then they kind of just say, well, you can go see a private therapist if you want.
It's like $150 a session.
I can imagine someone without insurance, someone who isn't as lucky as me that doesn't have
full coverage, it might just not be affordable.
Most people don't know where to start.
They don't know if they just go to a psychologist or they go to their GP or if they go to a hospital
or something.
It's not clear and it's not communicated.
You have to know where to look already.
And that's the problem.
People don't know where to start.
So only the people that know where to start can get there.
One of them looking out for me and looking to give me care, it's kind of more me chasing
after them to get the care.
I'm all for that.
People being comfortable talking about it.
But for me, it's more of a, it does nothing for the care, the change of how we care for
it.
And even if we're OK talking about it, we still have to help people with it.
It can't just be you talking with a friend.
You actually have to get professional help, no matter what.
It's great that you're raising awareness, but there's still a lot of work that needs
to be done in the ground.
Here's the lineup.
Everyone goes in the same lineup.
That's not a solution.
You might be fine for another couple of months, but these things are going to keep happening.
They're not one time things.
The brain doesn't really work like that.
And they're left sort of waiting for their next crisis when they have to go seek care
immediately.
That one day where I'm super energetic and productive, I'll make the call and get there.
But as soon as they've given up on me, that just makes me give up on myself, of course.
The fact that they're kind of putting you to the end of a list just makes you put yourself
to the end of your own list.
And you don't want to, don't feel the need to look after yourself.
It's just a really vicious cycle.
Ben Corpal, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder in general, anxiety disorder for
five or six years now.
My name's Joanna Catwell, general anxiety disorder, and chronic depression.
