How Do I Know If I Need Therapy, Medication, or Both?
Seeking help can be very daunting. While it is great that there are different types of treatment for mental health, sometimes having options can make things seem even more confusing and overwhelming. The short answer is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to managing mental health concerns. While I hope that this post may offer some insight, it really depends on your symptoms, the impact they have on you, and most importantly, your preference.
Why Therapy?
First of all, therapy is awesome. I think that most people may benefit from seeing a therapist at some point in their lives. Therapy can be great for learning and practicing coping skills, identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns, processing trauma, working on relationships, and having support managing stressors or changes. There are many different types of therapy some of which may be more effective for certain concerns or symptoms than others. For example, two types of therapy I often recommend are Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma. These therapies help your brain learn new ways of processing and responding to things, addressing underlying patterns that medication alone may not.
Why Medication?
Medication can also be awesome, and in some cases life changing. It is a very useful tool when someone is experiencing significant symptoms that interfere with their daily functioning or make it difficult to do things they want or need to do. It can be helpful when someone has persistent symptoms that are not improving. There are also some mental health conditions, such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders, where medication is considered a first-line treatment.
Why Both?
For many people, a combination of medication and therapy can be especially helpful. Sometimes your symptoms can prevent you from fully participating in therapy and medication can help reduce symptoms so your therapy can be more effective.
What if I’m Not Sure?
You don’t need to decide what type of treatment you think you need before making an appointment. Your provider will meet with you, discuss your symptoms and options, and help you come up with a plan that works for you. Sometimes that may mean starting with just therapy, sometimes starting with medication until your symptoms are more manageable, or sometimes using both. Treatment can change over time. Someone may start with therapy and later add medication or start with medication and add therapy. If you’re not sure where to start, that’s okay. Figuring that out together is part of the process.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care. If you have concerns about your mental health, please reach out to a qualified provider. In case of a psychiatric emergency or thoughts of harming yourself, call 911 or 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) immediately.