How You Can Incorporate Medication and Psychotherapy

Experiencing a mental health condition can be challenging. First, you must seek the proper diagnosis from a suitable medical professional like a doctor or psychiatrist. Then you have to make the decision on how to go about treating your condition or disorder. Many treatment plans offer the use of medication and psychotherapy as options.

Everyone’s condition is different. While some are challenged by one mental health disorder, others could be experiencing multiple conditions. Finding the right treatment program for you, even if your diagnosis changes over time, is crucial to living a healthier and happier life.

Medication and Psychotherapy: Powerful Tools for Mental Health

If you are utilizing medication, it is important to recognize its benefits. Medication is often an experiment at first, and sometimes, you must try various medications to find the right one for you. While medication is not an exact science, it can often be the first step in getting help for your mental health.

Another step that is equally valuable as medication is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy or talk therapy is a vital part of your program because it works in tandem with medication, making for an effective treatment plan. Medication can offset some of the most severe symptoms of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychotherapy can teach you the skills to cope with and manage the symptoms that may not go away with medication.

Psychotherapy is also an effective treatment option because it can help you grow and work through traumas, loneliness, addiction, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and other conditions that may be plaguing you. When your mental health condition or disorder doesn’t respond to medication, psychotherapy can help.

What Is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a variety of treatment programs that can help you identify and alter troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Many of these treatments take place in a one-on-one setting where the therapist and client sit together and work out the needs of the client. 

However, psychotherapy can also take place in group settings where a licensed mental health counselor guides group members to share their experiences with their peers. These groups also teach valuable tools for coping with and managing your mental health condition.

There is no shame in seeking out a psychotherapy program that works for you. Some of the reasons why you may seek to talk to a professional include:

• Dealing with stress from your work or family environment
• Coping with the loss of a loved one
• Dealing with relationship troubles
• Having unpredictable symptoms of appetite loss, fatigue, lack of sleep, weight gain or weight loss, 
• Finding you are no longer finding pleasure in doing things that interest you
• Struggling with low energy levels
• Having persistent irritability or feeling hopelessness and depression or sadness
• Dealing with low self-esteem issues or feeling unworthy to live
• Constant worrying or anxiety that won’t go away
• Having suicidal thoughts

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is essential to talk to your doctor right away before the symptoms get worse. They may diagnose you will a mental health condition that requires medication management and psychotherapy. 

Psychotherapy That Could Work for You

There are several types of therapy programs you could try, from support groups to one-on-one, but the decision is up to you on how you go about therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard on which several therapists base their practice.

CBT With Psychotherapy and Medication

CBT therapy is usually an effective treatment for those with anxiety disorders. The method behind CBT is to challenge unhealthy thought processes and behaviors. The skills you learn in this form of psychotherapy are dealing with your emotions in a healthy way. You also learn how to think, behave, and react differently to potentially anxious and stressful situations.

CBT has been growing throughout recent years because it can be used to treat a wide variety of mental health disorders, including depressive disorders and bipolar disorder. You can choose a CBT group in which the therapist leads the group to discuss and develop certain skills. Or you can choose to work one-on-one with a therapist who will treat you in a private way. 

CBT is among several therapy techniques; however, learning about different techniques is always useful. CBT may not work for you, which is why exploring your options if you feel something is not working is critical to ensure proper treatment.

Pairing Medication With Psychotherapy

Though psychotherapy is an important part of your treatment plan, medication can have immense benefits as well. Working with a doctor or psychiatrist is the most important thing when it comes to managing your medication and treatment.

When combined, medication and psychotherapy can work together to lessen your symptoms. For those dealing with severe mental health disorders, medication is crucial to their treatment plan. Anti-depressants and mood stabilizers work to calm the brain and ease the emotions you may feel from stressful situations. 

If you are in psychotherapy and taking medication, you may find that learning the skills you need comes a little easier. The challenges you face when having symptoms of your disorder could be eased with the combination of the right medication and the right therapy treatment.

Pairing psychotherapy and medication is not an exact science. However, when placed together, they can have a significant impact on your mental health. Talking to your doctor or psychiatrist about your medication and finding a therapist that can help you cope with and manage your symptoms are effective steps in treating your mental health properly.

Are you benefiting from medication but want to add psychotherapy to your treatment plan? Do you need someone to talk to about your mental health? Alter Wellness Care is here to help you every step of the way through outpatient treatment and psychotherapy programs, such as CBT and DBT. If you are looking to talk to a licensed medical professional that can help monitor your medication and keep you on track with your psychotherapy program, the team at Alter Wellness can guide you every step of the way. Don’t leave your mental health by the wayside; put it first to ensure you are living your best life. Call us today at (866) 311-3510 to learn more about our clinic.