Before I was diagnosed with depression and realized that I suffered from a mental illness, in my mind the most vital issue in terms of health insurance was whether I had it or not. I think you’d find that’s the case for nearly everyone in America. If you have good health insurance, for the most part it’s not something you think about, and you’re pretty darn thankful that’s the case.

However, once I started treatment for depression I became aware of one of the ugly aspects of the health insurance coverage I had thought was so complete. Not only were there limits on my mental health care in terms of number of visits allowed, both annually and for my lifetime, but my co-pay was higher for mental health visits than for other types of care. And I’m not just referring to talk therapy, which is always a 50 minute long appointment. Even a 5 minute medication check with my psychiatrist cost me more than a 45 minute long appointment with my gynecologist.
Read on

I’ve been taking Wellbutrin (generic name Bupropion) for about seven years, minus the time I was pregnant with my son. I would say that overall it’s been very successful, except during one period. All of a sudden, even though I was faithfully taking my medicine, it was as though I was taking sugar pills. I realized that the color and size of the pills in my most recent prescription refill were different from the ones that I had been taking.
Read on

Are you a compulsive shopper? At this time of the year, when the gift buying starts to get out of control, you may begin to wonder. I personally am afraid to add up how much I’ve spent on Christmas presents. But when the holiday season is over, most of us will go back to a much more normal level of buying, especially after we get our credit card bills in January. Some people, however, will continue to shop, not because they need something or are buying gifts, but because they’re driven by an addiction.

Read on