TetrisArmada

I've dialed Military OneSource in my lowest of low times. I was ready to drive to a local gun store to lock down on getting a gun to end myself, but in a brief moment of clarity--or I guess more along the lines of my lizard brain kicking in and not wanting to die--I called the hotline and got myself free counseling, which then led to more treatment down the road.

One of my first thoughts when I started seeking help was that "Wow, I wouldn't have been able to afford any of this on my own", which prompts my question:

What can you do for people who are suicidal, or actively thinking about committing suicide, but aren't able to afford the counseling or medications? Chances are, money could be a huge factor for the stress/strain in their lives, and it certainly was one of the things on my list of reasons for wanting to. I was fortunate enough to have free resources courtesy of Uncle Sam, but not everyone has that kind of luck when their luck is already at its lowest.

Thanks for the reply!

I found out about the sliding fee when I was considering going back to the therapist I was originally paired with when I got my therapy for free, largely because we left on a hopeful note, and I felt the need to go back before things got worse recently. Only problem was, even with the sliding scale I wasn't sure how much it would cost me since I haven't followed up yet. But the fact that a sliding scale payment option exists is something I've never known about, and hopefully anyone who is reading this AMA will be able to utilize it if needed.

Free college counseling is another thing I recently found out about as well! I paid hundreds on abstract "health fees" when I went to my 4 year uni, and that went towards basically getting free check ups and counselings, and I think some universities even throw in dental check ups in there too. I'm sure the amount of free sessions vary by school and funding, but the fact that they offer it as free is great; even if you're technically paying for it it's nowhere near the amount you'd pay out of pocket for a private session.

Another thing I'd like to add though is www.GiveAnHour.org. It's catered towards current active duty and reservists, as well as veterans, and the counselors see military members for free. The VA is just a fucking mess, and getting even free counseling through them can take up to a month just to get your application/paperwork through. You can search for an array of counseling, ranging from anger management, family counseling, and even dealing with deaths/losses. Albeit it's limited to service members, but in case you didn't know you can certainly add it to your arsenal of knowledge :) I comment on /r/depression as often as I can, and I think you can help make a good impact on a lot of people struggling on there. There are many new posts daily and with the gravitas you bring with your wealth of knowledge can help people start in the right direction.

Follow-up question: aside from getting on a waiting list, are there ever situations where someone is unable to get free counseling of any kind, excluding unwillingness to seek therapy? Do you have to meet certain qualifications or is there really no excuse since there's at least a sliding scale for payment that therapists are willing to accept?

Good point. The only caveat I can see with most free counseling of any kind is that they may not be as extensive or beneficial depending on the kind of care you need. If it's something that's starting to send someone downward toward full blown depression I think the free ones can be a good place to help curb that to a big degree; the more intermediate and serious cases need the higher degree of professional care though.