Depression Meds (cost and insurance coverage and advice?)

[RyanC]

HIPPA states that no one other than you and your healthcare provider(s) will have access to your medical records. Your parents will have no knowledge of what you take. Do not order drugs online from foreign countries, there are a lot of counterfeit drugs out there.

[zerosum]

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Depression is often due to chemical imbalances, and it is conceptually no different that being diabetic or having allergies. It's just a physical reality that we now know how to address.

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This quote deserves to be a sticky in this forum. I'm quite serious.

[zerosum]

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I dont work hard in the classroom anymore,

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Sounds like you are a college student. Find out if your school offers any health care services to the student population. Many schools deduct student service fees that help cover the cost of running the facilities, and students can receive help for little or no cost.

[brokeandstuck]

Hah, seems like theres always problems... My provider is Tricare through the military, Im listed under my parents. This means any and all correspondance will go to their permanent address.

If this wasnt enough, my father is a doctor and can get access to my medical record any time he wants.

I really am not going to tell them about this, I cant explain it, but its not something I wanna do. So basically Im pretty much screwed.

Oh yea, you can buy student health coverage, but its at the beginning of the semester, and it doesnt include prescription drug benefits

[Unabridged]

just get some weed

[bkholdem]

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just get some weed

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Anti depressants are A LOT cheaper.

[zerosum]

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I really am not going to tell them about this, I cant explain it, but its not something I wanna do. So basically Im pretty much screwed.

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Use the link and number below to try to find a low cost clinic in your area. They do exist. There are physicians who actually donate their time to such clinics. My wife is one of them.

Don't let the name of the organization below put you off. It could be a good resource for you.

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

1-800-273-TALK

[bolgenmod]

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Thanks, this has been helpful. I did a little searching online and found the generic fluoxetine for about 50 cents a pill for 20 mg.

Is ordering these online without a prescription legal? safe? legit? I dont have the extra income to see a psychiatrist if the parents arent paying for it.

I was thinking about buying a couple months worth, popping 1/day and seeing if I could notice a difference.

Basically, I would have done this already if I werent nervous about buying a) a placebo, b) rat poison, or c) getting ripped off and arrested

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DON'T just start self-medicating. The first thing you need is a full medical check-up: depression is a physical illness, yes, but there are other physical problems that could be involved and/or producing symptoms similar to depression. If you are a male college student (even a doctor's son), I would guess that you haven't had a full physical in a long time. (I know men in their thirties and forties who have NEVER had a full physical since they were children.) (And full physical means blood tests and often other tests as well.)

The suggestion to find a low-cost clinic that you can afford is a good one.

Psychiatric drugs like Prozac alter the brain chemistry -- that's why you have to have a prescription. This is serious stuff, not to be fooled with.

I don't want to sound like I'm scolding you, but I really think you need to talk to a doctor, get a physical, and a prescription. For your own sake. Please.

[popniklas]

Talk to a MD, preferably a psychiatrist. DO NOT USE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS WITHOUT CONSULTING A DOCTOR.

[DistantHaze]

My good man, although not a therapist of any kind, I have three points of suggestion for you:

1) Realize that things beyond your control are a consequence of Life, and should not be the basis for your happiness. Everyone goes through rough times. Understand that tomorrow is a new day.

2) Consider telling your parents how you feel. Sneaking around behind their backs sounds like more turmoil than you need. Perhaps as a group you can come up with a solution.

3) Antidepressants are a very dangerous lot. I suffered with depression for many years, and have taken nearly every variety made. The side effects are staggering, yet the pills themselves cure nothing. Sunlight, fresh air, little or no television, and a geniune effort to improve myself worked wonders for me, and may be beneficial to you as well. If you are considering meds for a temporary aid, however, you should look into Omega 3s, a natural supplement; or a product called FeelSerenityNow, an herbal compound with no known side effects, and which can be pruchased online without a prescription.

Good luck to you!