Mood swings happen without warning
DEAR ABBY: I read your letters every chance I get. They remind me that I’m not the only one with problems, but sometimes I just feel so empty.
I have random bouts where anything can send me into a crying jag and all I want to do is hide and go to sleep. I can be watching a funny TV show and out of nowhere feel like I need to run away and cry. It scares me that my moods can swing so drastically. I can also become angry every now and then when it’s unprovoked.
I don’t know what to do. My boyfriend tries to help, but he’s at a loss as well. My medical insurance doesn’t cover psychological help. Can you give me any advice? — CRYING MYSELF TO SLEEP
DEAR CRYING: Check again with your insurance carrier, because your primary-care provider may be able to order psychological services for you. If, however, that’s not possible, your county department of mental health may be able to help you find counseling on a sliding financial scale. Or contact a university with a medical school, if one is close by. Ask to speak to the Department of Psychiatry and inquire if someone on the staff deals with the problems
you’re experiencing.
If you live in a town with a college, find out if it has a psychology department and a graduate school. If so, does that graduate school have a psychology program and clinic that charges on a sliding scale and is the clinic staffed with graduate students? If not, inquire if someone on the staff of the department sees people privately and get the phone number.
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