This may seem like an odd category to have on a blog about financial failures and successes, but my journey started because of mental illness.

My life was on track to be successful when I first started this journey but like all plans, they took a detour when faced with illness. Originally the illness stemmed from a terminated pregnancy, my wife had a miscarriage, but the mental illness that followed was what caused the major disruptions.

Like many, mental illness can have a crippling effect on all those involved. With a lack of treatment and proper insurance it can substantially worsen an already fragile financial situation. This is exactly the scenario we faced and living through it I gained insight on how to not repeat the same mistakes.

A Long Hard Journey

It took years to find the balance with treatment and medication and while it is still a struggle things have become more stable recently. The road to recovery is long and can be trying but having a support network makes it much easier.

My daughter now suffers like my wife. Although her illness is more anxiety than depression we have found therapy and treatment options to help quite a bit.

Having a good insurance plan makes all the difference. When things were rough we were paying close to $500 a month just in medications alone. One of the prescriptions was $350 for a 30 day supply. Add weekly therapy visits and monthly psychiatry check ups and that was another $200.

The Need for Increased Services

Much of the problems that I have seen is the stigma around mental health. As American’s we do not spend enough for proper mental health services and there is a growing need. When I was looking for my therapist it took months to find a good one and once I found her, I have to book my appointments for the month ahead. There is a shortage of good therapists.

These are all situations that can lead to financial ruin.

I will touch on the mental health aspect of our financial demise as well as what treatment we eventually sought in order to rebuild our wealth.

I hope that if you are facing a similar situation you will better understand how to deal with these issues and overcome any physical, mental, or financial hardships you are now facing.