Should I Take Medications for my Mental Health?
This is SUCH a common question I get as a therapist. Who, what, when, were, why to take medication? Is medication right for me? Will I be taking it forever? Will it be my crutch? The questions circle around you and can start to feel overwhelming. I mean, after all, most of us haven’t been to medical school. These are normal questions and there can be a lot of fear and anxiety around the topic of medications for mental health.
Medication can be really helpful in certain situations, but they are not for everyone. There are a lot of factors that may contribute to the decision to take medication, then of course, which medications to take. Studies show that medication in combination with talk therapy, statistically can give quicker symptom relief for certain diagnoses. Oftentimes the challenging experiences that lead one to take medication are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Medication can be a wonderful tool to help balance some of those brain chemicals and make therapy more effective. Finding the right medication for you can be a trial and error process sometimes, which can feel discouraging. Sticking with it and finding the right medication for you and your situation is very much worth it in the long run.
Step One: Finding a Psychiatrist
Finding a trustworthy psychiatrist that you feel supported with is such an important first step. The same way the relationship with your therapist is important for your healing journey, so is the relationship with your psychiatrist. You should feel comfortable, educated, and heard when working with your psychiatrist for medication management.
When is Medication Helpful?
Generally speaking, there are times when medication can be really helpful. If you are having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, are not sleeping, experiencing severe anxiety or depression, hallucinations, delusions, and more, exploring medication options may be a good step in your healing journey. It can be hard to process your mental health concerns with your therapist when you are experiencing such symptoms mentioned above. Medication can help you get some sleep (which is so restorative for both your physical AND mental health) and help you to bring some of your symptoms to a more manageable level – a level in which therapy will be much more effective. When you are actively in crisis mode, you cannot process through what led to being in that crisis mode. The rules of crisis work state that you first need the support and resources to manage the crisis, then you can begin to process after you are out of it. Medication and severe mental health/physical symptoms are very similar to this.
What Medication Should I Take?
Another question I often get is what medication to take – what is best and what will give you the greatest benefit. This is a great question to explore with your psychiatrist. Your psychiatrist will take a thorough history of your past and current medications, health diagnoses, and family history. Sometimes, certain diagnoses that either you or family members have received will help dictate the decision of which medication to take. Sometimes you might have tried something in the past and it did not help you, which again will help your psychiatrist narrow down to the best medication option for you and your situation.
But Will I Have to Take it Forever? Will it be my Crutch?
The short answer is no, but it depends. This is another great thing to discuss with your psychiatrist. As you process what is going on through talk therapy, you may be able to wean off the medication or lower your dose. You may choose to stay on it for a duration of time in order to keep your symptoms at bay. There is no one size fits all answer for this question and it is a personal decision to make with the support, education, and guidance your psychiatrist will provide.
If I'm Taking Medication, Do I Even Need Therapy?
Again, not a one size fits all answer, but generally yes. Medication is not meant to be used alone. It is meant to be a tool and support in combination with talk therapy. At the end of the day, there are often things and circumstances that led to the anxiety/depression/etc. in the first place. Talking through this with your therapist, learning healthy coping skills, learning of new perspectives to view your situations through, and more, will be most beneficial in the long run of your healing journey.
At River Root Counseling, LLC, I specialize in maternal mental health & trauma therapy. If you would like to get started with counseling, or have questions about this blog post, please contact me under the “contact” tab of this website. Of course, this blog post is not the end all tell all and if you think you may benefit from medication, I encourage you to discuss this with your medical provider.