A Financial Consequence of Depression

Depression affects 14.8 million Americans in a given year and I'm one of them. When I was a sophomore in college, I learned that my mother had terminal cancer. This news threw me into a downward, depressive spiral. Months later, my friends finally convinced me to get help at the college's health center. A combination of really good friends, counseling, and medication helped me pull through.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. Even 4 years later, I still feel the after-effects of that period, not just in my head but also in my wallet. You see, antidepressants are pretty important to getting and staying well. And most doctors prescribe name-brand anti-depressants, the expensive ones.

So if you don't have insurance, you're in a bad place. And having depression can lead to losing your job (thus no insurance) and having a hard time finding one after you've been through therapy, if you can afford it (again, no insurance).

Unfortunately, since I don't currently have insurance (I'm in a temp-to-hire position) this means paying the full price. As I said, I cut them in half, and since the 5mg dose costs about the same as the 10mg, I "only" spend $45/month on them by buying 1 month of 10mg and cutting them to last for 2 months.

The financial effects for me are at least $45/month, combined with not getting as good a dose as I could. They also include doctors visits and could include therapy. When I had insurance, it still cost $25 for me. For others, the copays were sometimes even higher.

This is a problem. But I think the cost of medications, anyway, has a comparatively simple solution.

Right now, lots of doctors are prescribing brand-name antidepressants to their patients. Yet there are plenty of generic types out there, a variety which means that they could fit the different peoples' needs. Many are simply older versions of the name brand (which was probably only reformulated because the formula was going to be public property). They can cost as little as $4-6 per month. That would fit most peoples' budgets just fine.

But doctors don't like to switch you off one that's working. I hope their only concern is for your health and not upsetting your equilibrium. I'm sure pharmaceutical companies don't have such laudable motives.

I wish that my doctor had started me on a generic antidepressant. I'm still trying to get switched. If you're depressed, if you ever become depressed, or if you're caring for a depressed person, see if you can get them on generics right away. It'll save a lot of money in the long run. It'll make them less likely to spend time figuring out how to afford their medication. It'll probably work just as well (and with several different types to try, you have good odds of finding one that works).

It's too late for me to get that good start. We've laid out hundreds of dollars for my medications. It doesn't have to happen to you. Talk with your doctor about generics. If they're not right for you, at least you tried.

Note: Mrs. Micah is not a health professional. Please talk to your doctor before taking any medications.