You’re paying $4 a gallon? Are you kidding me?

And you’re COMPLAINING?! In the UK we pay $5.40 a litre. That’s around $3.09 a PINT. Multiply that by 8 (8 pints to the gallon – right?) ….

You worked that out yet? That’s over $12 a gallon.

And you’re bitching over $4 …You don’t know you’re born!

Maybe another lesson you can learn from this: “Someone else will always be worse off than you.”

How to “stock pile” meds when insurance will only pay for used doses. I worry that we simply won’t be able to find meds even if we do have the money.

Hi, I don’t have a diagnosis for bipolar disorder, however, I do have a diagnosis for “atypical depression” and PTSD associated with trauma. I have been on medication for the past 2 years. Over the past year, I’ve been unable to work and on a medical leave of absence from my position and as a student at a university. I’ve stressed upon my family, including my mother and father, and my two adult children that I need their assistance in making arrangements for care and medication in an effort to become more self sufficient and also, in the event they are not available to assist me. I’ve received no effective response from them. The reason I have fallen into this situation is I had no care in place after the death of my husband and my guardian. Now I am struggling to find assistance through government support and other resources. The last time my medication was filled I didn’t have funds for the co-pay. I still have a health insurance policy that is effective until Aug 21. A medication waiver was signed by my doctor; however, he informs me this is a “one time only” arrangement. I am entitled to case management services however the case manager keeps placing me on inactive status because she feels she can no longer assist me because I have family resources available and they “should” be helping me. My family (sisters) is resentful because my father gave me an insurance policy to assist with my care last year, now my mother is ill and recovering from a stroke, which they blame me for, and feel those funds should have been available for my mother. My mother and father both have social security and retirement income plus a private health insurance which covers their medical care and medication. I don’t have this in place because my husband died suddenly and unexpectedly. We had been together for 3 years, and married only 7 months. A will was never found, however, I didn’t attend to his personal affairs immediately after his death. Only his sister did. She received his survivor benefits and his assets. My husband was very caring and responsible. This was a matter he tried to address and was caught in this unexpectedly. Over the time we were together, we both advocated for assisted suicide or a prepared suicide kit available to an individual. Let me mention that Bob was a paraplegic since the age of 17 from a spinal cord injury sustained in an accident. He was a very determined person and as a result was very strong and successful by the time I met him. I had a serious problem with Cushing’s Disease in the mid-90’s which caused many permanent physical problems, however, I had excellent medical care at the time, I was working professionally, and I was determined to learn to walk and recover again. Both of us were fully aware of how physically incapacitated a human being can become, while fully sustaining their mental ability and being subjected to neglect and abuse. This is sad, but true; which is why we both had suicide kits. At this point in my life, both he and my guardian tried to help me to this point in my life with so much care and effort, it seems sad that my impression from others it is meaningless. I feel with a small amount of support I would be able to recover both financially and possibly even find someone to assist me in my personal affairs, within a matter of weeks or a few months. This becomes a vicious cycle, though. As matters in my life become more unstable, fear and anxiety create more confusion and dissociation, which lends to absence of memory, which creates more instability, and further creates more instability….I think you might understand the obvious cycle. Bob once talked to me about the very things I had chosen for myself. At some point you understand that the level of existence can deteriorate to the point of becoming not only substandard, but without dignity and possibly, inhumane. Over the past couple of months I’ve become nothing more than a sex tool for two men. One who now has a Temporary Restraining Order filed against him because of the control and abusive sexual practices to which he subjected and used on me. Another man was helpful with funds he “loaned” me I felt until I could pay him back. He expects me to respond to him in the manner of a “wife slave.” These are terms which are totally new and incredible to me. He made this very clear to me in an extensive email he wrote to me which admonished me for not making a phone call for him at exactly the right time he requested it. His term was “tasking” me. These are terms associated with stuff that was covered in Abnormal Psych and Deviant Criminology – but nothing I’ve ever heard in my everyday life. I am stunned. My case manager and a counselor I’ve stopped seeing, both felt I should just go along with these men and their requests because at least I had some method of survival. Personally, I’d rather be, well, I was going to say dead, but that’s not true. I really don’t feel a need to have digressed to this level. It’s clear by my writing that I have an above average intellect and advanced education. I learned from my mother, sometime last Fall that Rick, my former guardian, now seriously ill and incapacitated, had phoned her when he realized he was becoming so ill. He wanted her to know he was concerned about how I would be taken care of when and if, he were not available to do so. He anticipated and used foresight, too. He’s right; I haven’t lived independently since the mid-90’s despite my recovery from Cushing’s. I was able to assume a healthy and even, progressive lifestyle, because I had continued support in caring for my children, caring and cleaning my home, attending church, being involved in community activities, my financial affairs, so many daily activities. I attended the university and continued to work in academia because this is my best skill. My best talent is in vocal performance so I continued to sing professionally, with the assistance of those who supported me. I wasn’t able to cook because of a problem with short term memory loss. I could cook, or bake, only when someone else was in my home because too many times I couldn’t’ even remember that I was waiting for a timer to alert me to ongoing activity in the kitchen. By focusing on the development of my own skill building I’ve developed numerous programs I use with students in their academic retention. I’m very pleased with the work I’ve done, and grateful to the persons who took care of me so that I could do this. As time passes, I realize how these skills fade without continued reinforcement and support. Even emotional support would help at this time, but this is not forthcoming either. At one point in my life, only a few months ago, having a suicide kit relieved the anxiety I struggled with constantly. Now, the thought of having it, and actually digressing to the point of feeling this is my one remaining option, creates the anxiety I felt I had overcome. The trauma and PTSD occurred as a result of being stalked for over a year. The stalker came to my apartment the day after Bob’s memorial service and raped me. Then, continued to stalk me. There was no police intervention because having no previous association with this man; it didn’t fit into any of the police department’s categories. Eventually, the FBI did become involved. At some point earlier this year, the case was closed by the district attorney’s office without explanation, however, the records are sealed and I’ve been advised not to pursue it any further. I’m still fearful, but the priority is how I will pay my rent and how I will provide my medication and treatment. Besides, buying your book, do you have any further suggestions?

Hi Dave, I guess I happened upon your website looking for information reguarding my husband. I was looking for clues of his behavior and if there was a diagnosis for it. He sees a psychiactrist weekly , which i am not privy to the information. (Not all of it) He put him on adderall years ago….he was taking 3-4 a day among other medicnes. He is a 56 year old disabled retired photograhper who was very successfull but got cancer in 99…..He was cancer free in 00 yet he still has affects from the radiation he recieved. We have been married for almost 2 years after know each other for a year. His heath has declined, his teeth have all gone away and his spine is disenigrating. Needless to say that in January he took a bunch of various pills which he calls an accidental overdose. It looked like suicide to me. He weaned himself off of many drugs in the hospital and now the doctor put him back on the adderall in april. I just have found out. My husband has many symptoms of bipolar so I thought I would write to you and see what you think. He luckily took out a disability policy , so therefore he can barely meet his mortgage, his other bills and pays them late or not at all. When he has money he spends it like water. He never saves. He is on Neurotin for depression from his psychiatrist and this has recently due to his mood swings. One minute he is happy and the next he is mad at me for some silly reason. It is driving me crazy. He stays up late at night and sleep most of the day. Sometimes he sleeps 30 hours. He blames others for his problems. He is constantly late for various functions, which is very embarrassing for me. He has a terrible habit of having sex with me after i am asleep, which i find very weird. I have told him not to do this yet it continues. I have found where he has looked on a website for drunk women who men have sex with while they are asleep. I think this is gross. He always appologizes and tells me he will not do it agaiaan.
We are in the middle of selling his house (i can afford mine) and we want to build a cabin in the mountains near his home town. One big problem is that I am a teacher and my whole summer have been devoted to packing and cleaning his 3000 sq. ft. house. It is a horrible mess. When I come back to my home which is about an hour away to tak care of my business, he gets nothing done in the house. I told him he needs to pack all his personal, past wives material by himself, as I do not want to go through all of his memores from two women who cheated and treated him bad. I can’t take it. So now he tells me if I dont help him clean he will not go throught with the house. I am not the one that has to move. He threatens his insurance money /inheritence…..he tells people lies all the time and when he does something, he finds someone to blame or changes the story around. I don’t know how he keeps up with all of the stories. He also has extreme separation anxiety. When I am away for him for a day he calls me, talks for hours. He procrastinates to keep us together longer. He has much anger and has called me names and degrades my intellegece frequently. Then he appologizes and says he will do better. Then, boom the cylce starts again. Is ther any thing that you could help me out with this? thanks, sarah…ps his mother too has a mental problem and is usually hospitalized with a bad back and is given many drugs to ease the pain, she is very bitter since the death of her husband many many years ago and has bascally written off my husband. My husband’s brother and I believe his father too, were alcoholics.

David, I live in Bogotá, Colombia, South America. There are a number of young people, professionals, here, who are getting others interested in topics that question the economic structure of our societies in the presen world.

They have nothing to do with ideological positions such as capitalism or socialism. Their insight and questioning go further beyond those frames. I understand there are people in your country and in other first world countries that share their concerns and are considering the same solutions.

For over 10 years hey have been working mostly over here creating a space for people to trade their products and services. When economies experience a drop, people suffer because they don´t know how to exchange what they can do or the goods they would like to offer for what others do or for products or goods others can trade.

As they say, this was the way our ancestors here in America obtained what they needed. This was their form of commerce. I plan to get more information and I will let you know.

Hats off to your enthusiasm and desire to help many people. ROSE

Not sure how this blog thing works? Does Dave actually give feedback on your comment. I put one in 8-6-08. Need some help. Please read and give comment. Thanks,

Bebe

What is YOUR problem?
Tired, no time.
Try to manage yourself.
Bye.

Seems like good sense for Americans, your advice.
We have the ailing left-overs of a National Health System. Thatcher nearly did for it but the New Labour are trying to get it all back in place. We don’t have to get , rely on, individual insurance thank goodness. Goiod luck all bi-polars in yr. country.
Our system is now mixed private and public(ie NHS) All is not perfect. Yr research is well in advance of ours as is your practice, as far as I understand it, but , at least we can EVENTUALLY get help without drawing on expensive insurance schemes.
Too late for some , I fear!

It seems the US medical insurance system is like a bank – when it’s sunny they give you and umbrella. When it rains, they take it back.

I don’t mean to be rude but whatever happened to America, the Land of the Free? If you’re sick can can’t get the appropriate medicine because of the cost, you can’t be free. Am I being unfair? We may pay four times to price for our gas in the UK than you do in the US, but we don’t have to worry about the cost of medicine – that IS free under our National Health System. The more I hear about the medical system in the US the more I am very grateful to be living in the UK. May be THAT is why our gas is four times the cost you pay!

Gas seems incredibly cheap in the US, but I would rather have expensive gas and cheap healthcare. Here in Ireland we don’t have a free health service like there is in the UK. However, we have a more generous social benefits system and pensions. If you are on disability allowance (like my boyfriend) or working on low income (part time like me) you get a medical card, which gives you free healthcare and free prescriptions. Pensioners get free healthcare and free travel and all sorts of other discounts. I know someone who works part time and has the chance to go full time, but losing her medical card would actually make her worse off. Cars in general are dreadfully expensive here – tax, insurance, petrol, repairs, etc. etc.

Elisabeth,

I read your post, my goodness. I don’t know how much this can help you in the short term, but in the long term there is a place called http://www.lulu.com that publishes books that you may be able to write. I have PTSD, Bipolar, and was severely abused as a child and over came it all and wrote some books on the subjects. I am not trying to sell you one of my books, I just want you to know I think you are VERY literate and could write a book on how you survive your experiences with health care and the so called “law enforcement”. I think if nothing else it would give you a reason to keep fighting. You can write a book and publish it there very inexpensively. Maybe one of your children could pay the fee for publishing, it is really inexpensive. $100 for world wide distribution!

I had many problems with the law enforcement not enforcing laws, the health care system not caring about my health, and family presenting more of a problem than any solutions. I over came it because I didn’t want the world to “not” know what I went through, or how overcoming it was possible. You have already got a lot of experience in survival. I wish things were better for you, but the only thing I can suggest is to write a book and at least express how you feel to the world! It will give you a reason to live, and it may help some one else too!!! Like your determined spirit makes me more determined to fight in my life. Don’t go down with out a fight, or at least expressing your life story.

From one high IQ to another:
I have nothing but the Highest Respect for you and your survival!
Bob

Dave

Hello, I am fine. Thank you.

Your mini course is excellent. I find that many people around me is having this problems including myself. I just have slight problem expecially in emotional part.

Anyway thanks for all the email you sent to me. Keep in contact.
God Bless in Jesus name. Amen

To the writers from UK and Ireland, it’s true you have much better social welfare programs than we do here in U.S. and the part about free meds, medical cards etc. sound wonderful. I am diabetic recently lost my job due to government cutbacks to non-profit agencies and went without my daily meds for two months, until I could register with a free clinic that has just last week given me my much needed meds. All of our senior citizens for years had to pay for all of their own medications because the Medicare program only paid for Dr.’s visits, hospital etc. but not meds. It has only been in the last two years that we now have a medication program and they still have to pay a co-pay for each med which is not much $2.00 to $5.00 or so but on a fixed income those amounts do add up. Cannot wait to come to Ireland as that has always been my dream as my ancestors are from County Cork. Have a blessed day and thank God for your government programs. Pastor Patricia

My son has schizoaffective disorder and discontinued his meds after three-and-a-half years of compliance. He left Texas and went to Los Angeles to start a new life. Instead, he was arrested for carjacking and is in the LA jail under $100,000 bond. This is a young man with a major in history and a minor in Biblical studies and served our country for over three years, who has worked tirelessly with his church on mission projects and has never gotten in trouble. I believe it is a misunderstanding, due to his illness. His court date is August 20. I would appreciate any advice on how to help him.