3 Myths About Psychiatric Medication That Aren’t Helping Anyone

Two bottles of prescription medication

Discussions on mental health are much more mainstream than they were up until a few decades ago. The social stigma that surrounded mental health illnesses has also somewhat cleared up.

While most people are all into the idea of going for counseling or therapy, they’d still run in the other direction at the mention of psychiatric medication.

This is largely due to the many baseless myths surrounding psychiatric medication that don’t do anyone any good.

Here are the ones you need to steer clear of. 

Myth No 1: Once You Start, You Have to Continue Psychiatric Medication Forever

Reality:Psychiatric medications work just like any other medicines. They have to be taken as long as they’re needed. This means that, yes some have to be taken for life, but others are only prescribed for a specific period.

Moreover, there are certain psychiatric medicines that can’t be used for the long term, like benzodiazepines for example.

Myth No 2: Every Psychiatric Evaluation Results in Psychiatric Medication Prescription

Reality: Every patient and their conditions are different and the decision to prescribe medication is based on that. Think of it as medication for diabetes. Sometimes doctors will ask a patient to only monitor and control their sugar levels with diet, but at times they will ask them to take insulin.

Similarly, your doctor may design a treatment plan for you that doesn’t include any medication at all. Also, you can always discuss a treatment plan with your doctor if you’re not comfortable with it so that they can suggest alternatives.

Myth No. 3: Psychiatric Medication Has Severe Side Effects

Reality: Every medication that claims to work is likely to have side effects. The fact is that medication is a foreign body entering your bloodstream. It will make your body react in a certain way i.e. side effects. These could include nausea, fatigue, and dizziness.

That being said, your body will eventually get used to the medication. Moreover, in most cases, the usual side effects ensure that the medication is serving its primary purpose which is to address the mental health concern.

woman with red lipstick holding her lips

Other than these, people also believe that psychiatric medication is addictive, or they’re some sort of “happy” pills, or that they simply don’t work.

But the one myth we find most concerning is that people believe that they can stop the psychiatric medication as soon as they feel slightly better. Psychiatric medication management is very precise and in a way these medications work like antibiotics, where you need to complete the course to avoid a relapse.

So, the next time you or a loved one feel that you need mental health services, don’t shy away from reaching out to us for our psychiatric services in Dallas, TX.

We also offer psychiatric medication management in New Mexico.

Get in touch with us to learn more.

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