By skyforbes 
Trump slashes Medicaid budget and lack of Medicaid acceptance harms the mental health community.
I have been coping with mental health personally and professionally for my entire life. I would have to say my biggest struggle regarding obtaining care for my own personal mental health is care being available. I run into this same roadblock when trying to help clients obtain mental health care as well.
I always ran into months-long waiting lists to see a counselor and, with no insurance most of my life, I could rarely afford the medications these could-care-less psychiatrists prescribed me.
So, for most of my adult life, I just stopped searching for therapy and other community-based programs, like peer support, as I became discouraged with the costs. This led to many years of self-destructive behavior and, while also battling a substance abuse addiction, a point of complete bottoming out.
Unfortunately, my story falls into the norm as opposed to the exception. Many Americans struggle daily with attempting to gain access to affordable and quality mental health care that is personalized to them and not standardized. The ticket to these needs lies in Medicaid funding.