My Privilege Sustains My Well-Being

Parenting

My Privilege Sustains My Well-Being
by Sarah Mitchell
Updated: April 4, 2021
Originally Published: April 4, 2021
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I recently experienced a challenging episode related to my mental health. As the character Quentin Coldwater states in “The Magicians,” there are times when my mind simply falters. It began gradually: I found myself debating excessively on social media. This escalated to heated discussions in person, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of impending dread and intense anxiety. When the thought of taking my medication transformed into a desire to consume the entire bottle, I reached out to my partner and my psychiatrist, pleading for an appointment that same day. It was clear I required immediate mental health support.

My partner engaged me in conversation, pretending to be between classes. He kept the dialogue going until we reached our home. He understood that if he revealed he was leaving his job as an educator, I would resist, so he focused on keeping me connected to him rather than the medication. What transpired next would have been impossible without considerable financial resources and privilege.

Mental Health Care and Privilege

The fact that my partner could leave work highlighted our privilege. He has supportive colleagues who are aware of my mental health struggles. They’ve previously allowed him to leave early to accompany me to appointments, and more than once, they’ve encouraged him to depart when I’ve faced a crisis. They recognize that my partner has a spouse requiring mental health care. This is a notable privilege.

That afternoon, he was able to stay home with our children while I drove to see my psychiatrist. She is the most reputable in our state, having previously led the state’s Board of Psychiatry. Given my multiple overlapping conditions, it’s crucial to have someone with extensive expertise. However, my mental health care comes at a high cost. My psychiatrist doesn’t accept insurance, so while I can submit claims later, they won’t be covered. We pay her directly, which amounts to over $150 for a half-hour session.

That’s an unexpected $150 I hadn’t accounted for when I woke up that day, plus another $10 for new medication. While this may seem minor, we already spend over $100 (with insurance) on my psychiatric medications each month.

The privilege continued as my partner took several days off work. Although he wasn’t penalized for his absence, he had exhausted his sick leave and wasn’t compensated. Consequently, his paycheck shrank significantly. We managed, knowing my mental health was too crucial. I couldn’t have stayed home alone, especially during a pandemic when none of our friends could provide support.

I was fortunate to have a partner who could leave work, a psychiatrist who could see me right away, the financial means to pay for my treatment, and someone to manage our children’s education while I focused on my well-being. Additionally, my own employers didn’t penalize me for needing a week off at short notice. My mental health care epitomizes privilege.

Grateful for Insurance

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, there are provisions for mental health parity, ensuring that insurance must provide equal coverage for mental health services, including prescriptions. Some of my medications are pricier than others; for instance, the ADHD medication I rely on doesn’t have a generic alternative and costs nearly fifty dollars each month.

However, having insurance is a privilege in America. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of uninsured individuals rose from 2018 to 2019 to 28.9 million, not including uninsured seniors. This represents about ten percent of the population. I’m fortunate that my insurance provides decent prescription drug coverage; I dread to think of the financial burden my mental health care would pose without it, as most of my medications only require a nine-dollar copay.

My Partner’s Time Off Work

Statistics on how many employers allow their employees to take time off due to a spouse’s mental health crisis are scarce, but the number is likely low. My partner works in a white-collar profession, where it’s more probable that he would receive the understanding we needed. Moreover, he wasn’t dismissed for needing time away from work; they were accommodating.

We were able to handle the reduction in his paycheck, though it was challenging. This reduction represented a considerable amount of money, highlighting our privilege. Losing half of a primary income source or reducing our monthly income by roughly 5% was not something we had budgeted for or could have foreseen. Nevertheless, we navigated it because my mental health care is paramount.

The Importance of Mental Health Care

Without treatment, I could have faced dire consequences. I could attempt to soften the reality, but I have bipolar disorder type 2, anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Medscape indicates that 25-50% of individuals with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide during their lives, with 11% succeeding. Over time, the mortality rate for my condition is alarmingly high.

Research shows that low income is a significant risk factor associated with suicide. It’s not merely that “poor people are stressed, so they die by suicide.” The less affluent you are, the fewer resources you have for insurance, access to quality mental health care, and support systems in place to take time off work when necessary.

I recovered and returned to work. However, the outcome of my breakdown would have been far different without my privilege. My privilege not only provides a safety net but also ensures access to quality care.

My privilege keeps me alive, yet countless others cannot make the same claim.

This article was originally published on April 4, 2021.

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In summary, my recent experience underscored the critical role that privilege plays in accessing mental health care. With the right support systems and financial resources, I was able to navigate a difficult time. Unfortunately, many individuals lack the same opportunities, emphasizing the need for broader access to mental health services.