More than 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness. Even further, 1 in 25 Americans struggle with a serious mental illness. Thankfully, there are many mental health recovery centers out there. While you can opt for outpatient treatment, some people benefit from residential programs. Inpatient mental health rehab can offer the support, tools, and treatment you need to recover.
Therapy and counseling are extremely important tools used during mental health treatment. However, mental health disorders are often managed with medications. To treat mental health conditions, doctors prescribe medications to balance chemicals in your brain that are affected by your condition.
Medication for mental health can be tricky, so treatment centers use a technique called psychiatric medication management. This tool ensures that patients are receiving medication safely and securely. Being aware of how psychiatric medication management works can help you feel more comfortable with taking the medication you need.
What is Psychiatric Medication Management?
Medication management is the process of working with a psychiatrist to ensure that your medications are safe and effective. This could include changing doses, switching medications, and adding new medications to increase the benefits. Usually, medication management focuses on ensuring you are reaping the therapeutic benefits of medications while limiting side effects.
It is important to note that your psychiatrist will take a look at your medical history before prescribing a medication. This ensures that your medication will not have any negative interactions with pre-existing conditions you might suffer from.
During psychiatric medication management, you will have weekly check-ins. Your psychiatrist will ask you questions about how you are feeling, whether you have noticed a difference in your symptoms, and whether you are experiencing side effects. If needed, they will make changes to your medication to ensure you are comfortable.
If you have never been on medication before, medication management might include a “trial and error” period. This is where you try different medications until you find the right one for you. While this process can be frustrating, it is necessary to find the right balance of medication for your mental health condition.
Which Mental Health Conditions Require Medication?
Tons of mental health conditions can be managed without medication. For example, some people with anxiety disorders find that they can manage their symptoms with therapy and healthy coping mechanisms. However, some people with severe anxiety need a combination of therapy and daily anti-anxiety medication.
Examples of mental health conditions that are treated with medication include:
- Mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders
- Certain personality disorders
While conditions like anxiety and depression can eventually be managed without medication, certain illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia will require long-term medication. A mental health professional can help you develop a treatment plan that includes information like whether you need medication long-term.
What Types of Medications Are Used in Mental Health Treatment?
Mental health treatment programs use a wide range of medications to treat different mental illnesses. For example, anti-depressants can be used to treat depression, anxiety conditions, and even certain personality disorders. On the other hand, mood stabilizers and antipsychotics are used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The most common medications used during mental health treatment programs include:
- Anti-depressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Anti-anxiety medications like buspirone or beta-blockers
- Mood stabilizers
- Anti-psychotics
- Sleeping pills for insomnia
These medications can cause potential side effects. Your nurse practitioner or primary care physician can help you determine whether the side effects you are experiencing are worth the benefits of your medication. This is an example of the importance of psychiatric medication management, a vital aspect of mental health treatment.
How Does Medication Management Assist Mental Health Recovery?
Mental health issues can be difficult to recover from. Medication management in mental health treatment centers ensures patients are receiving the highest level of care possible.
Using medications can balance chemicals in your brain that are out of whack due to your illness. Additionally, medications can lessen your symptoms, allowing you to better focus on therapy and developing positive coping mechanisms. Any symptoms that cannot be managed through counseling will be improved with the medication you are taking.
Is Medication a Replacement for Therapy?
Medication should never be considered as a replacement for therapy. Medication can make a huge difference in the symptoms you face daily. However, you still need therapy to assist you in a variety of ways.
For example, therapy can help you in the following ways that medication cannot:
- Educating you on how your mental health condition affects you
- Teaching you emotional regulation skills
- Instilling positive coping mechanisms
- Helping you create a healthy routine
- Showing you that you are not alone in your emotions, thoughts, or struggles
- Helping you gain a better understanding of people and the world around you
- Allowing you to develop important communication skills and healthy boundaries
Medication should only be used in a couple of ways. First, it can be used as a stepping stone to help people focus on therapy. Over time, medication can be lessened as therapy begins to work.
On the other hand, people with mental health conditions like bipolar should use medication to stimulate their recovery. They should always engage in regular therapy while they are adhering to a medication schedule.
Get Connected to a Top-Rated Mental Health Treatment Center
If you suffer from a mental health condition and need treatment, Agape Behavioral Center is here to help. Our treatment center offers therapy in combination with psychiatric medication management. In other words, we ensure our clients develop a strong foundation of recovery to rely on.
Contact us today for more information on the importance of psychiatric medication management in mental health treatment.
