Three Reasons To Consider Medication For Your Mental Health

Content Warning: Please be advised, the below article might mention topics that include prescription medication, abuse of medication, and addiction. The information found in the article is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have.

With mental health conversations becoming more common, many people have turned to wellness practices to create a foundation of self-care. Some people meditate, others exercise, and for some people, it may seem as simple as taking a long bath on a Sunday night. But what do you do if those things don’t seem to work for you? What if you can’t bring yourself out of bed to go for a run, or read, or journal about your feelings?

It can be disheartening for some people to feel like they aren’t able to take the right steps toward a healthier mindset and wellbeing. For some, therapy and continued active focus on productive behavior is enough. For others, medication and other more informed changes might be necessary. It’s important to be kind and open with yourself while on a mental health journey. No two people’s experiences are the same.

If you’re hoping to learn more about medication that’s used for mental health disorders, consider speaking to a therapist at BetterHelp. Therapy and consultation from a mental health professional is an important aspects of any mental health journey. Though medication can be a great benefit to many people’s lives, it often needs support from behavioral change as well. Working with a mental health professional can help you understand other ways to make a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.

A Suggestion From A Professional

Many mental health disorders cause significant shifts in the chemistry of a person’s brain. For people with these chemical imbalances, it’s not about “trying harder,” or “working more.” Though there are certain behaviors that you can implement in your life to actively improve your mental health, for some people, those behaviors aren’t enough. By speaking to a physician and mental health professional, you can learn more about medications that may help you on a day-to-day basis.

If you get a suggestion from a medical or mental health professional to try medication for your disorder, it’s a good idea to consider it. What you put into your body is your choice alone, but you may find that medication can help you feel more balanced as you go through life. Taking medication may take some time to adjust to, but it can also help many people feel more grounded and able to tackle necessary tasks.

In fact, taking medication for psychiatric reasons isn’t uncommon. Up to 16% of people in the United States report using medicine to help treat their mental health disorders. You are not alone in using the right resources to cater to the needs of your well-being.

Nothing Else Seems To Help

Many licensed therapists will not recommend medication immediately as you begin treatment. It’s certainly possible that lifestyle changes can affect the way you handle negative thought patterns. It’s important for you to be honest with yourself about what makes you feel positive, and what doesn’t.

For example, people with clinical depression may recognize that exercise helps them feel better throughout the day. The problem? They struggle to get themselves into a forward-thinking headspace that will help them get out of bed, put on their workout clothes, and head out the door to do so. This is not due to laziness or a lack of self-sufficiency. Their mental health disorder is affecting their ability to do what they want to do.

It can be hard to not be down on yourself for these moments or to feel challenged to do the things that you know will work for you. Medication, used either short-term or long-term, can help people focus their energy. Though some people feel daunted by starting medication and what they perceive by the commitment of it, sometimes it can be strong support in the right direction.

If It Works

Many people try medication, find that they are having positive results, and then stop taking the medication in hopes that their mental health has been “cured” forever. Oftentimes, this is the opposite of what will work long term. It’s perfectly understandable for people to want to fluctuate with their usage of medication, but chances are that if it’s working, it may be a good idea to continue taking them. Keep communicating with your doctor about how your medication is affecting you, and know that you don’t have to decide how long you’ll take it at this moment.

A nice analogy for medication is to compare it to a set of glasses. For some people, medications that treat mental health disorders work in the same way. It’s not a matter of numbing certain aspects of themselves or altering their personality. Instead, it’s a way to balance out the chemicals that are affecting their day-to-day life.

It’s important to speak to a licensed professional and try new medications with their supervision. Not everyone finds the right fit immediately, and by keeping an open dialogue with your physician, you can find the right medication and dosage that works for you.

There is nothing shameful in taking medication, going to therapy, and taking steps to improve your mental health. It’s never too late to start taking steps toward a healthier future, and being kind to yourself can make all the difference. Your mental health can impact all aspects of your life, and by being proactive in that, you’re taking care of yourself.