The goal of many psychiatrists is to help their patients without needing medication. But, there are instances where medication can be incredibly helpful in healing.
While some patients require only one medication for a short duration, others may require multiple prescriptions over longer periods. Regardless of how long a person may need to take a medication, management of medicines is essential in their treatment plan.
What is Medication Management in Psychiatry?
Medication management is a process that ensures patients are taking the right medication at the exact right dose for their specific situation. Typically, a psychiatrist will start a new patient on the dose and type of medication that has worked well for similar patients in the past. But numerous follow-up appointments will be scheduled after the initial assessment to ensure the patient’s symptoms are being controlled without any unwanted side effects.
A person may be on a specific dosage of a specific medication for years and be fine. But the body is constantly changing, and it may eventually adapt to a specific dose, so the psychiatrist will want to routinely evaluate and adjust when needed.
What Types of Mental Health Issues Can be Treated with Medication?
Many mental health conditions can be treated with therapy alone. In some cases, such as with a phobia, a prescription can help to take the edge off while the therapy is doing the heavy lifting.
There are those times, however, when medications may play a larger role. For instance, if someone is experiencing depression because of a chemical imbalance, there may need to be a reliance on medication first to rebalance the mind.
If you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue and you wonder if medication might help, your best course of action is to work with a licensed therapist who can assess you and make the proper treatment recommendations.
Please email my office if you’d like to explore treatment options.
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