When you are struggling with your mental health, it can be challenging to find the right path forward. Should you look for a therapist? Do you need medication to support your wellbeing? There are many options when it comes to treating the symptoms of mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. But in short, getting help with your mental health begins with reaching out to a trusted behavioral health provider.
In this article, we will discuss some common mental health concerns that can be addressed with medication. We will also talk about signs that it is time to get help as well as some common concerns associated with medication management. Remember, you are not in this alone – at Triumph Behavioral Health, our team is here to support you through every step of your mental wellness journey.
Do Mental Health Disorders Require Medication?
While medication is never a requirement, so to speak, it can often be a helpful tool in managing mental health concerns. If you are considering looking into medication to address your mental health concerns, the first step is working with a healthcare provider to develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
It is also important to remember that different medications can affect people in different ways. Sometimes, it takes a few tries to find the medication that works best for you and comes with the fewest side effects. A licensed behavioral health professional can help with diagnosing your mental health condition, creating a treatment plan, and prescribing the right medicine, if that is deemed the appropriate course of action.
Many different types of mental health disorders can be addressed through medication. While medication will not cure a mental health concern, it can help you manage the symptoms of these disorders in order to live a more fulfilling life. Let’s take a look at a few types of mental health medication classes and what kinds of concerns each one can treat…
Types of Mental Health Medications
The primary types of mental health medications include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.
Antidepressants
As the name suggests, antidepressants are medications prescribed to treat depression. Sometimes, healthcare providers might also prescribe these drugs to treat other health concerns like anxiety, pain, or insomnia. Common types of antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs).
Remember, antidepressants take time to work, usually four to eight weeks. Related concerns like energy, concentration, appetite, and sleep might improve before you begin to feel mood-lifting effects. If you are starting a new antidepressant regimen, remember to give the medicine time to work before deciding whether or not it is right for you.
Anti-Anxiety Medication
These medications help to reduce symptoms of anxiety, which can include panic attacks and extreme fear or worry. In some cases, the medicines prescribed to manage anxiety and depression are similar – for instance, SSRIs or SNRIs might also be prescribed to manage anxiety. Some anti-anxiety medications treat anxiety in the long term and build up in your system over time in order to work. Others are targeted at in-the-moment concerns, such as panic attacks or phobias, and work almost instantly.
Stimulants
This class of medications is typically used to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and narcolepsy. Stimulants are shown to increase alertness, attention, and energy – but they can also elevate heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Regardless of their diagnosis, most people who take prescription stimulants experience improved alertness and focus, and these medications can make a big impact in improving daily functioning for people with attention deficit disorders.
Antipsychotics
This class of medications is typically used to treat psychosis, which refers to any condition that involves loss of contact with reality. During a psychotic episode, people might experience hallucinations or delusional beliefs. Psychosis can occur because of drug use, but it can also occur due to mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. For those who are struggling with more severe mental health concerns, antipsychotics can help improve the quality of everyday life.
Mood Stabilizers
These medications are most often used to treat people with bipolar disorder. Lithium is a common mood stabilizer, although those who are prescribed this drug are typically advised to regularly check on their liver and kidney functions.
When Is It Time to Consider Mental Health Medication?
If you have been struggling with your mental health, it is never too early to seek help. The first step in any kind of treatment is gaining a diagnosis. A licensed behavioral health professional, like the nurse practitioner therapists on our team at Triumph, can help determine your diagnosis – and then, effective treatment can begin.
If you have a diagnosed mental health condition, medication might be an option for you. If you feel that your everyday life is impacted by your mental health concerns, you are losing interest in activities that were once exciting, you are feeling down or depressed, you are overwhelmingly anxious, or you are experiencing delusions of hallucinations, we are here to help. Medication can often be an important tool in helping you resume your most fulfilling life.
Sometimes, individuals are concerned about side effects associated with mental health medications. Others worry that medication could change their personality or make them not feel like themselves. However, it is important to remember that when you work with a certified behavioral health professional, they will ensure you have a robust understanding of any potential side effects before you begin a course of medication.
After you have given that medication some time to work, you can always revisit your prescription with your behavioral health provider to explore a different medication or a different dosage. Working closely and being honest and open with your behavioral health provider is the best way to get the treatment that you need – and the treatment that is right for you.
Explore Mental Health Medication at Triumph Behavioral Health
Mental health medication is not for everyone, but if you are considering this course of treatment, reach out to our team at Triumph Behavioral Health. We are a wellness center serving Baltimore County, Maryland and the surrounding area – and we are here to support you from diagnosis to maintenance of your mental health concerns. We will help you generate a customized treatment plan that puts you first. So go ahead, contact our team today. At Triumph, we care.