Miscellaneous Clarifications

Hi all, just wanted to do some blogkeeping and clarify some things that I may have been fuzzy about in recent posts.

First, I'm afraid that my last post didn't come off quite as I had hoped. I want to emphasize that I intended for it to show that I'm learning not only to acknowledge that negative side effects of ED slippage but to refuse to settle for them. I lived with hair-clogged drains for years, hated it, but felt too trapped to do anything about it. I feel like I'm moving beyond that, I think I have at least caught some glimpses of how much better life is post ED, even if it is just for the sake of better hair days. ;p Kidding, there are way more benefits than that. Anywho, I didn't mean for the last post to be a call for attention/sympathy, I wanted it to just be a reminder of some of the fringe benefits (better hair, etc) that come from taking care of yourself.

Second, therapy. I have switched to a new therapist at the same clinic, and everyone involved was extremely graceful, professional, and understanding about my decision. I have gotten many comments about the fact that some non-ED therapists can be just as helpful as specialists, depending on the dynamic, and I would have considered someone else if changing my medical approval were not such an excruciating ordeal. I know I have some readers not from the U.S., so in a nutshell the system (at least with my insurance company) works like this:

• I have to get a referral from my primary care physician to see a psychologist
• If the psychologist is "out of network," meaning not on a list of providers that have signed on to work with my particular insurance company, my physician must submit a detailed letter with the referral explaining exactly why I have to see the out of network provider.
• The insurance company takes its sweet time processing the referral (four weeks, in my case).
• The insurance company commonly rejects the referral immediately, because no one bothered to look at the justification letter.
• If the insurance company finds anyone else in the city within their network of subscribers that claims to treat eating disorders, they reject my referral and tell me I must see Dr. Network instead of someone of my own choosing, or I receive no coverage.
• If I have any appointments before the date that the insurance company recieved the referral, they are not eligible for coverage.

Thus, if I want to change psychologists, I must get a new referral, new justification from physician, and wait several more weeks for it to process, leaving me in the lurch as far as therapy if I want to wait and make sure the referral is approved before going to any sessions. If the claim is rejected, I have to pay out of pocket for the therapy sessions.
This entire process is a huge ordeal and pain in the ass, which makes it very difficult to shop around and try different psychologists to find one that fits my needs. Seeing someone in the same practice is perfect for me at this point. Anywho, I just wanted to acknowledge that I appreciated everyone sharing their experiences with a variety of treatment styles, and that is definitely something I will keep in mind in the future!

Ok, off to bed., morning comes early these days. I was over at Match's place most of the evening, and am in that weird state where my body knows it's bedtime but it also jazzed up on caffeine from earlier in the day.