KICKING DEPRESSION
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — I use my debit/credit card to pay for my therapy. I am a geek. I pay my bills online. My personal finances are completely paperless.
No more. From now on I will pay my therapist and psychiatric nurse practitioner in cash. Seems credit card companies think those of us who seek help for our mental illnesses are high risk and less likely to pay our bills. According to an article in The New York Times, credit card companies are using data-driven psychology to find us.
"Are cardholders suddenly logging in at 1 in the morning? It might signal sleeplessness due to anxiety ... Have they started using their cards for therapy sessions ... What do they say when a customer-service representative asks how they're feeling? Are their sighs long or short?"
Excuse me, but aren't those people with mental illness and troubled marriages who DO NOT seek therapy at a greater risk of not paying their bills? Why are we who see a therapist being punished for getting help? Of course there is no way to screen for mentally ill debtors who do not get therapy. So they penalize the ones who DO ask for help. They lower our credit limits and raise our interest rates, which can cause more stress and more visits to the therapist.
Therapy is not the only red flag. Sudden discount store shopping, spa treatments, alcohol and adult entertainment bills could send the signal that you're worried about your finances, stressed out and looking for escape. These purchasing trends make some sense. But therapy? Come on. That HELPS the person keep a life from falling apart.
Who knows what my credit card balance would be today had I not gotten help for my depression and bipolar? But it definitely would not be as much as I have been paying. In fact, this month I finally pay off all my credit card debt.
There is enough stigma out there that prevents people from seeking help. Even those with health insurance often won't use it because they fear their employer will find out or they will become uninsurable because of prior treatment for mental illness.
As for me, I plan to hit an ATM before I go to therapy. Of course, it doesn't look good to use your card to get cash. If only they knew I was getting cash to pay my therapist.
Christine Stapleton writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: christine(underscore)stapleton(at)pbpost.com. To read previous columns, go to PalmBeachPost.com/depression