These days, we all know the importance of looking after our mental health. Unfortunately, though, finding the right kind of mental health support and care when you need it the most can often prove to be very expensive. That doesn’t help individuals who are really suffering with these kind of issues but can’t afford therapy or other kinds of treatment and support.
Thankfully, there are a few ways to enjoy better mental health even if you are broke. You just need to know how you can take the care and support into your own hands, and where you can afford it at more reasonable prices. Read on to find out more!
Look For Affordable Ways To Break Bad Habits
One of the first things that you will need to do is to try to break any potentially dangerous habits that you might have picked up. There are quite a few that can be damaging to our mental health. For instance, drinking, smoking, and doing any dangerous drugs can all cause people to feel stressed and depressed. If you do have any problems with them you should try to find an affordable alcohol and drug rehab centre.
Not all of these kinds of facilities will be as expensive as you might think! Once you start to break these dangerous habits, then you should feel like it takes a big load off your mind. Your overall physical health should also improve as well.
Rely On Your Support Network
I’m sure that you will have a lot of friends and family around you who will want to help you in any way that they can. Make sure you don’t ignore them when you are going through such a difficult time. It will be a good idea to reach out to them even if you just need a shoulder to cry on.
Talking to the people who are closest to you will help you get things off your shoulders, and it’s also a chance to tell them that you are going through a difficult time and might not be yourself until you get back on your feet. Plus, chatting to your close ones will certainly be a lot cheaper than talking to a therapist!
Take Plenty Of Breaks
You also need to give yourself chances to relax as often as you can. This is one of the firm foundations of good self-care. No matter how busy you might be at work, you shouldn’t let this have any effect on your personal life. It’s important that you don’t take on too much or else you might end up working very long days and even the weekends. If that does happen, you will likely end up extremely stressed which could send your mental health on a downwards spiral.
Make sure you relax and unwind as much as possible so things don’t become too much for you.
See Your Family Doctor
You might be surprised at just how much your family doctor will be able to help you when it comes to mental health. Most of what your doctor will be able to offer you should be covered by your regular health insurance, so there is no issue about paying any extra for it. If your mental health is particularly bad and you think you might need medication, then your doctor should be your very first port of call.
Try A Support Group
There are lots of support groups in most towns and cities that cover a variety of issues and problems that people might have in their lives. You should see if there is a local mental health support group that you can join.
This gives you the chance to speak with other people who are in a similar situation to you. You’ll all be able to swap plenty of stories, tips, and advice. Not only will this be a great way to boost your mental health, but it should help to improve your social life as well as you will make plenty of great friends.
Consider Seeing A Therapist-In-Training
Did you know that many people who are training to be therapists offer their services for a very discounted price so that they can get plenty of practice and experience? As they aren’t fully qualified, they won’t be able to charge that much and you should find that it can be a very affordable way to see a therapist. You should check with your local college to see if they can put you in touch with any therapists-in-training.
If you don’t have insurance, you can also reach out to a handful of therapists to see if they offer a sliding scale price for those paying out of pocket. That’s what I did and I pay $60/session.
Here’s hoping your mental health quickly improves!
