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Amanda Reaume discovers there are few options available for her depressed friend

September 17th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized

“For people like Jessica, who don’t have employee benefits and don’t have extra money to pay for treatment, there are few options”

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When Amanda’s friend Jessica (not her real name) lost her job and spent a year desperately seeking—but not finding—another, she fell into a deep depression. “I’m in debt. I’m having a hard time paying my bills. I can’t even get a job in fast food because they tell me I’m overqualified. I just feel like I can’t come back from this. That my life is over,” she told Amanda.

Now Amanda has written an online account of Jessica’s experiences with the mental illness of depression—and Amanda’s own experiences trying to help Jessica to find help on the lower mainland of British Columbia. She shared “Why I’m Willing to Pay More Taxes for Mental Health Services” at The Huffington Post. It’s been “liked” on Facebook over 2,000 times, shared on Facebook nearly 500 times, tweeted over 100 times, and Amanda has been inundated with email from people who have shared similar difficulties in finding help for mental health challenges—or themselves faced depression without adequate supports.

Jessica had been proactive in dealing with her depression, working with her GP and a psychiatrist and trying a number of pills only to find out that she was one of the 20 per cent who don’t respond to anti-depressants or experience unbearable side effects. I promised that I would help her find support and access counselling and set about trying to do so.

Amanda ReaumeAmanda (pictured at the right) observes that “at every turn as I tried to get help [for Jessica], I encountered a mishmash of inadequate services offered by non-profits, universities and certain health authorities. Most had lengthy waiting lists with no flexibility for those who were desperate to be placed at the front of the line.”

My heart broke as I listened to her. Here was someone who had so many wonderful qualities and so much left to accomplish telling me she believed death was the only release from her suffering.

Eventually, another friend of Jessica’s helped her by covering the costs of private counselling—which can quickly add up to thousands of dollars. Jessica is reportedly grateful for the support of her friends, but feels awkward about accepting the monetary support. It’s been a difficult and challenging time for Jessica as well as her supportive friends.

More about Amanada Reaume

In 2009, Amanda graduated with two degrees, no debt, and $40,000 in the bank. She did it by winning almost $60,000 in scholarships and grants, working hard, and living frugally. Since then, she’s continued to work hard, live frugally, save, and invest and often helps friends with tips and tricks to get the most out of their money. A commentator on the financial interests and habits of Generation Y and an activist for causes like women’s rights and mental health, Amanda likes to write about her generation’s desire to live a meaningful life and support the causes that matter to them. Amanda blogs at The Huffington Post and at Millennial Personal Finance.

We speak with Amanda Reaume.

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