According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 22.1% of adult Americans suffer from a mental illness. It's thought that this number is actually quite small and that far more people who are mentally ill do not seek the help of a local mental health service. Part of the reasons that people will not seek help from a local mental health care professional is the stigma surrounding all types of mental illness. But another reason is due to the cost of local mental health care. Like all other types of health care, the cost of local mental health care has risen substantially in the last twenty years. Many health insurance plans will not cover local mental health care. But there are ways to find low cost local mental health care for you or for a loved one suffering from mental illness. Talk To Your Political Representative. The job of a local political representative is to help his or her constituents in any way they can. This is because they often have knowledge of local community plans and programs, including those for low cost mental health services. You might not have to talk to the political representative directly, but to the office staff. They get questions about local health care all of the time. They may discover a state-subsidized local mental health care program that accepts emergency cases or can put you on a waiting list. This may entail filling out a lot of forms, but it's worth it in order to get the help you or your loved one needs. Also, if you already know what kind of mental illness you have but are having trouble paying for medication because you got laid off or face a similar employment problem, then you may be able to be placed on any state medical program in order for you to get access to a doctor to give you prescriptions.
