Mad at five-eighty 27 Sept 2012
I've just cured my depression.
Fortunately, it wasn’t severe. Aside from the flat mood, poor sleep and sporadic appetite, I had this very occasional temptation to leap in front of expensive cars (seems more of a challenge). Two things brought on the diagnosis. Being jobless for the first half of 2012 didn’t help. Nor was the gradual breakdown in my marriage. Curiously, it was a minor benefit of being unemployed that cured my depression. In Australia, with unemployment comes a Healthcare Card – a Golden Ticket that opens doors to all sorts of discounts. So when my doctor prescribed anti-depressants, I discovered that instead of paying in around $40 per prescription, the Healthcare Card dropped the price to $5.80. This wasn’t enough, however, to turn my blues into rose-coloured glasses. I found that I had to actually exercise my access to this amazing discount in order to restore my mental health. I walked into the local chemist, handed over my $5.80, then walked out and dropped the meds in the nearest bin. I returned to my doctor and explained the story. She didn’t believe me – until she gave me a standard mental health exam. Now I’m no idiot. I know that for medication to work, you can’t let a day slip by. So I marked off the days in my diary, and returned on the first of each month for a refill prescription. Each time, I just threw the packet of meds in the bin. I then realised something else. Thanks to the Healthcare Card, my GP appointments were bulk-billed. So I ended up making appointments, going into the reception, signing the forms and walking right out. With all this free medical care, I was happy as a lark. |
There's a budget for every ill
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