Category: Mental Illness

Antidepressants, Therapy, Side Effects, and Efficacy

 

CNN’s The Chart is one of my favorite blogs.  I particularly look forward to Tuesdays when Dr. Charles Raison writes about the world of mental health and

Photo by JasonTromm

psychiatry.  A couple of weeks ago Dr. Raison responded to a question about the safety of long-term antidepressant use. Dr. Raison did a much better job than I can describing the recent findings on antidepressants, including their long-term use, use  in pregnancy, and their effectiveness compared to placebos.  What he didn’t write about (and he usually does) is how psychotherapy is used in treatment of mental illness.

Obviously, given my chosen field, I am a believer in the power of mental health counseling and psychotherapy.  While I am not at all anti-psychiatric medication (far from it) I do believe that no conversation about antidepressants is complete without at least a brief mention of psychotherapy.  The reason is that psychotherapy/counseling (the terms are interchangeable) are a crucial part of the treatment plan for all forms of mental illness that I know of.  Schizophrenia, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder – they can all be helped by psychotherapy.  In fact, the latest research tells us that therapy is just as effective as medication (if not more so) for many mental health disorders.  Research also suggests that a combination of therapy and medication is the best course of treatment for several diagnoses including many types of anxiety and depression.

Other than being highly effective, perhaps the coolest thing about psychotherapy is its lack of side effects.  We’ve all heard the list of unpleasant side effects that can be experienced on psychiatric medications (sexual problems, stomach upset, headaches, etc).  But therapy’s list is comparatively short.  In fact, some would argue there are no negative side effects at all.  I’m not sure I’d go that far (for example, sometimes talking about painful experiences can be tough and cause thoughts about these experiences to increase in the short term), but I agree that the risks of therapy are dramatically lower than for medication.

With therapy’s efficacy and lack of negative side effects in mind, it makes sense why it should always be included in any discussion of mental health treatment.

 

 

How Daycare Can Help Children with Depressed Moms

In my recent post about moms criticizing other moms, I wrote briefly about the new study finding that daycare helps kids with depressed moms.  To read more about my thoughts on why this might be the case and how else we can support moms (and all caregivers) with depression please click over to Your Mind. Your Body. This is the blog of the American Psychological Association for which I also write (though not as regularly as I write here).  Let me know your thoughts!

I Was Just Diagnosed with Depression (or Anxiety, or ADHD)…Now What?

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When folks first call my office, often one of the first things they often say is something like this:

My doctor just diagnosed me with anxiety (or depression, or ADHD, or fill-in-the-blank) and he told me to call you, but I’m not sure why.

So, what is the next step when a physician tells you you have a mental health diagnosis?

1.  Ask as many questions as you can before you leave the provider’s office.  If you arrive home and realize you didn’t ask enough – or any – questions try calling your doctor back and asking for clarification.  Some of these questions might include: 1) What symptoms do I have that caused you to give me this diagnosis? 2) How do you typically treat people with this illness? 3) Are there other options? 4) Would it be a good idea for me to get a second opinion? 5) Are there any books/blogs/websites you recommend where I can read more about my condition?

2.  Once you get home and feel ready, check out some of the resources your doctor provided.  If they didn’t provide any, try your local library for some books. If that doesn’t appeal to you, try looking at some TRUSTWORTHY health websites.  Some of my favorites include: WebMD, the American Psychological Association, and PsychCentral.   While looking through the resources, some information you might want to look for includes: 1) How does this illness develop? 2) What are the treatment options? 3) What is the typical course of the disorder (does it come and go, get more severe over time, resolve on its own)?  Beware of over-reading though, sometimes too much information (especially from a poor source) can be a bad thing.

3. One of the most important things in recovering from mental illness is sticking to the treatment plan.  Whether your doctor prescribes medication, recommendes therapy, or something else, it’s important to stick to it.  If it doesn’t seem to be working or other issues arise, give you doctor a call back and let her know what is going on.  Some folks find that keeping a log of mood and behaviors helps track the effectiveness of treatment.

4.  Sometimes I hear folks say they feel as if they’ve failed when they realize they’re suffering from a mental health disorder.  While our society has come a long way in accepting mental illness just like any other physical health problem, many of us still hold a stigma against mental illness.  As you are adjusting to your new diagnosis, remember that mental illness is just as real as diabetes, cancer, or strep throat.  Mental illness is not a punishment for past wrongs, or something one should be able to overcome if they were only “stronger” (something I hear a lot).  Mental illness is prevalent (see NIMH statistics for serious mental illness in 2008) and treatment is effective (see APA information about treating anxiety and depression).