Psychiatry VS. Psychotherapy
Oftentimes in my course of practice, my clients will often ask me questions regarding psychotherapy and taking psychiatric medication. For example, is it appropriate to be in counseling and ALSO to be taking medication? Is counseling better than medication or is medication better than counseling? If I am taking medication for depression or anxiety, what is the point of psychotherapy as I am already being treated? In order to answer these questions, we must first address what is psychotherapy and what psychiatric medication is meant to accomplish.
Psychotherapy is used as a way to address and change one’s negative or undesirable behaviors through the interaction between a therapist/counselor/psychologist. Psychotherapy is also utilized to improve one’s mental health, enhance mood, resolve relationship challenges, and minimize compulsions and addictions.
Psychiatric medications are psychoactive drugs that are meant to treat a whole range of issues from depression to bi-polar to schizophrenia. Utilizing psychiatric medications to treat mental illness was groundbreaking when it was first introduced into the medical field as it allowed patients who were previously institutionalized to return to their homes and manage their symptoms through medication. For many of these patients, they were suffering from severe mental illness which did not allow them to live a normal life, like the rest of society. In due time, that course of treatment of using psychiatric medications was applied to diagnoses such as depression and anxiety, which can drastically improve one’s quality of life.
So just to review, if medication is effective and overall a safe course of treatment, what is the point of taking medication and also being in therapy?
The answer is as follows: oftentimes, there is a chemical imbalance in one’s brain and taking medication to balance that out can then put someone in a position to succeed in life. But that does not mean that the coping skills and tools that one can acquire through therapy can also be acquired through taking a pill. Being able to make long-lasting effects to improve one’s life can only be obtained through self-reflection and self-exploration, either in therapy or in a similar setting. It would seem that the most effective plan to mental health treatment is a combined approach of both medication and counseling.
If you or someone you know is struggling with the mental health issues and is not sure what the best course of treatment is, Ben Barer LCSW-C, treats clients dealing issues including depression, anxiety, self-esteem and self-confidence issues. If you feel that a clinical social worker is what you are looking for, please reach by phone or email, 443-601-9722 or barercounseling@gmail.com.
