u/SarahSaidSo182

After 4 months of the most ridiculous amounts of hoops to jump through, I finally had my first treatment today.

I was well prepared for it because of my 4 months of being in here.

This is the nicest and most supportive subreddit I've ever been in.

It's me again. After 4 months now my first treatment is scheduled for Tuesday (though I won't believe it until they hand it to me).

This clinic requires a urine test for every visit. Twice a week. That means I'm going to have to go into each session annoyed and grossed out from having just gotten pee on my hand.

They had me do one for my intake, and the metal box in the wall they told me to put my sample in was FULL of other peoples' urine samples too. We're given little white paper bags to put the cup in, so the actual pee wasn't showing, but I looked it up and the fact that I could easily look in the bag and see someone's name is a HIPAA violation. It's gross and it looks like they make every who walks in the door take a test, even those not coming for Spravato.

And it doesn't even make sense to do a urine test. They told me I can't have THC (for the entire duration of being in treatment, not just right before a treatment) even though I'm in a legal state. But they haven't told me explicitly what they're looking for and why.

Has anyone had to deal with this before?

Edit to add: This is actually the second clinic I've tried, I wasted 3 months dealing with a different clinic that were never able to get their shit together and let me start treatment (I even got scheduled, showed up, and was told there's still a problem with them and my insurance and I had to go home).

I don't think there's any other clinic around me. And I couldn't handle having to start the process of them needing to "decide if I'm a good candidate for Spravato" and then deal with the insurance prior authorization again 🫠 I've been trying to get treatment since April.

2nd edit: Ok so this clinic is clearly up to some fuck shit. How do I get out of having to do this unnecessary and stressful thing that would have an actual negative impact on my treatment (without it doesn't like I'm not wanting to do it because I'm hiding something)?

Watching the game on tv the other night, I saw what looked like a power outage, and I was confused as to why the players and commentators weren't reacting to it and why the crowd was cheering.

When I realized that was a pitcher's walk out, I was instantly jealous. That's so fucking cool, I can't get over it. I cannot imagine how awesome it would feel to be there and have that happen. And then went I saw Miller's ERA I was like, ok yeah, the hype makes total sense.

Edited to add that I watched the game on TV, I wasn't there.

I'm trying to get treatment with Spravato, and one of the requirements my insurance demands is that I be on an antidepressant during treatment (which is infuriating for obvious reasons).

I've seen a lot of positive things about Auvelity in the spravato subreddit, and it looks like the only antidepressant I'm willing to try. HOWEVER, when I was a teenager, I got seizures from Wellbutrin.

I'm on anti seizure medication and haven't had a seizure in 15 years.

My provider sent in a prescription for Auvelity (which I'm currently waiting for my insurance to approve 🙄), and I'm not sure if I should actually take it, or "take it".

Also, is the sweating a common side effect? I had an issue with *horrible* night sweats from Pristiq and I do not want to deal with that again.

For some reason most socks feel like burlap sacks, or like Aida cloth. Or like sand paper. The socks with a "cushion" on the bottom sort of helps, but my heel will still get rubbed raw when walking (especially in slip on shoes, but even with perfectly fitted tied shoes)

The only socks that don't do this are bombas, but they're like $10-$20 per pair. Is there a bombas dupe out there?

I was approved by my insurance after fighting them for 3 months and finally got scheduled, but got turned away when I showed up. Turns out the clinic is insanely incompetent and has no idea what they're doing. Its a long story that I swear has taken years off of my life. I do not trust this clinic to ever get their shit together.

Another clinic near me offers spravato, and I have an appointment with them for next week. They're more established.

But my prior authorization approval I fought so hard for at the other clinic apparently can't just be transferred to this new one, so I'm going to have to start allllll of that shit over again.

The last 3 months have been wasted. Dealing with it has made my mental health worse than it was before I started.

I guess I just need someone to tell me that it's worth it, because I don't know if I can go through all of that again.

You're probably tired of my shit by now, but after months of fighting with insurance, I was approved last month, and my first treatment was scheduled for last week.

A day before my appointment, the clinic called to tell me we had to reschedule to today because there was an issue with insurance and getting the spravato from the pharmacy.

So today was supposed to be the day. I came prepared, backpack full of different candies, eye mask, good headphones, playlist ready, I have on my comfiest clothes, and was so excited to finally be able to start after months of so much hard work to get here.

But I'm told that even though I've been approved by my insurance, there's still some issue that literally no one knows the reason for. The clinic is new and I think just has no idea what they're doing. So I had to go home.

I'm just devastated. I just called my insurance and they also have no idea what the issue is.

The cycle of hope and disappointment is actually killing me. Has anyone ever gone through this?

I've posted in here a few times about the road blocks I've been dealing with trying to get treatment. My clinic is so incompetent and my insurance added ridiculous requirements that other patients with my same insurance didn't have to do.

After 3 months I was approved, last week I was finally scheduled for my first treatment, which was supposed to be tomorrow.

I just got a call from the clinic that they're having trouble getting it from the pharmacy, and they need to push my first treatment day to Wednesday of next week.

I cannot describe how deflated I am. I lost count of the amount of times my psychiatrist and the clinic gave me hope that I'll start soon, to only be told there's some new issue. For months now. My hope turning into disappointment is killing me.

It genuinely feels like its never going to happen. That something else will come up next week. That the universe keeps dangling this string of hope and snatching it away, and every time that happens, it's harder and harder for me to have the will to try to reach for it again.

Pit group chats in the past were really helpful for me (especially since I go solo), like finding out where the line is, getting an idea of how amount of people in line before you leave, stuff like that.

Here's one for facebook: https://m.me/cm/AbbzfcAHAbZrKvVh/?send\_source=cm%3Acopy\_invite\_link

And I made one for Instagram but need your IG handle to add you to it.

I was in a pit group chat on Instagram for one of the Breach tour shows, and it was incredibly helpful, especially since I went alone.

So I'd love to join a group chat for those who will be in the pit in Ohio!

If there isn't one already set up, is there any interest in getting a group started?

I've had very limited experiences with this stuff. I've tried drinking a few times and I always just felt nauseous and wobbly. I was told I needed to drink more to get the good feelings from it, but all it did was make me throw up.

It didn't make me feel confident, loose, happy, or any of the things other people experience while drinking. Like I only experienced the physical symptoms, my mind never felt different.

THC vapes and gummies make my mind slow, while occasionally making something funny. It doesn't make me "feel good" or anything. There were 2 instances where I took too much THC, and for hours I was unable to talk, barely move, sweating out of every inch of my body, and constantly vomiting with the worst nausea I've ever experienced.

I take Tramadol for pain, and it makes me so nauseous without Zofran. I have absolutely no idea how some people take that for fun. It barely even helps with pain.

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome so I metabolize some things differently so I don't know if that has anything to do with it?

I have my first spravato treatment next week (after 3 months of fighting my insurance for approval), and my biggest worry is that its going to be like all my other experiences, where I just feel sick.

I know getting high and feeling euphoria isn't the point of it, but I really want to know what that feels like, and really don't want to be miserable during treatments.

I'm worried my brain isn't capable of having synthetic good feelings.

How long after you were approved did you start?

A few days about my psychiatrist got verbal confirmation that I was approved (yay!). And they're waiting on written approval to then order the spravato and get me started.

He also said they only approved 8 weeks of treatment, and after that they'll have to submit another prior authorization showing improvement. I'm wondering if that PA is easier than getting the first one? Or if there's a good chance there will be a lapse in treatment due to it?

I genuinely thought it would never happen, since my psychiatrist said he's never seen the requirements my insurance was asking for (and even has a patient with the exact same insurance that didn't need to jump through all of these hoops). But until I get an appointment on the books, I don't want to get my hopes up.

I've been at this since March.

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First denial said I hadn't tried enough antidepressants (laughable). But I found out that denial was because the clinic sent it to the wrong department, so they resent it.

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Second denial said I don't need to try any more antidepressants, but required the following to be submitted to them:

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- Complete blood count and metabolic panel tests to see if there's a cause for my depression in there.

- Urine toxicology test (would that mean someone who suffers from addiction isn't allowed treatment?!)

- CURES review

- Attestation from the provider that he evaluated my risk of abuse and thinks treatment is worth the risk (which is literally inherent with anything a doctor prescribes)

- Copy of Spravato treatment plan

- Pregnancy test

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My psychiatrist said he's never seen an insurance require this, *even for a patient he has that's currently getting Spravato treatment with my exact insurance*.

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Since I had access to blood test results from last year, and a negative pregnancy test from a recent trip to the ER, he submitted all that they requested except for the urine test because I didn't have one to send them.

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Third denial came back wanting the urine test (I figured), but they added a NEW requirement, that I need to be on an antidepressant to be able to receive treatment (even though that's outdated FDA protocol). My psychiatrist knows I'd rather eat fucking glass than try *another* antidepressant, so he said he will prescribe me one, and have me pick it up, and that's all my insurance will be able to have as confirmation that I'm on an antidepressant.

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My pain management clinic had me do a urine test last week, so I was able to send that to my psychiatrist with new 2026 blood tests.

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I'm just worried they're going to add a new requirement after we've already jumped through all of these hoops. My psychiatrist is dumbfounded as to why my insurance is singling me out and choosing to put so many roadblocks up just for me. I've never had an issue with getting $4k MRIs approved, SEVERAL $3k diagnostic injections into my back that relieve pain for only 4 hours, any of my several prescriptions that I've been on for 10+ years, or my weekly therapy sessions for 9 years. They could literally save money by allowing me to have Spravato because it might help me not need other treatments I'm currently receiving.

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I was so hopeful back in March when I first looked into this, I had even created a playlist of songs to listen to for treatment, bought an eyemask and started preparing a treatment backpack. I took notes of everyone's advice on here for those starting out. The constant disappointment of being denied, then waiting weeks to be denied again has been fucking devastating. It just feels like it's never going to happen.

I'm looking for sandals because I'm vending at an event in Sacramento next weekend and it's supposed to be 101° 🫠

I haven't worn sandals in years because every one I've tried had straps that chaffed my skin. Any recommendations?

I had a friend who is a stylist but had virtually no experience with extensions, which I found out the hard way.

The tape ins she ordered had white tabs that showed horribly at my brown roots. It looked like I had pieces of masking tape in my hair. It's a long story but I had them in for less than 3 weeks.

I paid $650 for all of this hair, so I want to get my money's worth. I was looking into seeing if I can convert them into clip ins, but looking at the kits to do that, the white tabs would still show, and the glue would still touch your hair and if looks like a pain to take out.

Is there a company I can send them to that can make them into hand tied wefts? Or is hand tying them something I can try on my own?

This is such small scale, they ordered a pair of embroidery scissors. But should I just cancel it? And if I cancel it, I have to provide a reason why I canceled and I don't want to risk my account being banned or something since my Etsy is 90% of my income and I'm disabled. Any advice is appreciated.

Edit: I really appreciate everyone who gave me thoughtful answers for this. I canceled the order and basically said I'm unable to ship to that region at this time. Hopefully they don't get upset and try to get me banned or anything 😅