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What To Ask About Mental Health
Medications
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
For a moment, let’s get personal. What if your
doctor recommends a mental health medication for you or someone in your
family? What do you do? How do you decide for yourself if the medication
is what you really want, or need?
There have been many recent news stories about
whether medication is over-used for mental health problems. I am not going
to focus on that social issue right now. That will be the topic of a
future column. The focus of this column is more practical. What should you
do if you, or a family member, have been told to begin a mental health
medication?
Mental health medication may be just what’s needed.
It can improve your behavior, thoughts, or feelings. It can bring about
some positive changes that you couldn’t achieve otherwise.
So for those who are in need of mental health
medication—or who have loved ones in need—what can you do?
Become a Knowledgeable Consumer
It helps to know everything about your condition and
the medication you’ll be taking. That means you need to ask questions.
By asking good questions and getting factual answers, you can decide if
the medication is the best choice for you.
Start asking questions as soon as a doctor has
diagnosed you with a mental health disorder and recommended a medication.
Also it helps to have someone you trust to talk to the doctor with you.
That person can be more objective in asking questions, and may be able to
remember the answers better than you. In the case of children and
adolescents, a parent needs to be there to get the information.
Take notes and, if needed, ask the doctor to talk
slowly and be willing to explain answers.
Here are some key details to go over with your doctor
concerning medication:
- What
is the name of the medication? Get both the brand name and the generic
name.
- How
much will you take and when?
- What
is the medication for? What symptoms is it supposed to improve? Learn
everything about your diagnosis that you can. Learn the symptoms of
your diagnosed condition and the best explanation as to why you have
this condition. You can do some of this research on the Internet or in
the library, or your doctor may have written material that you can
keep.
- How
long will you need to take the medication?
- What
other treatments are available besides medication? Talk with your
doctor about all the options. For most people diagnosed with mental
health problems, counseling and psychotherapy can help. In fact,
psychotherapy should almost always be part of a treatment plan. The
best treatment for most disorders includes a combination of medication
and professional counseling. If a child has been diagnosed, it may
help for the parents to attend parenting education classes so they can
learn to manage or redirect their child’s behavior. In addition, ask
about stress management techniques. These can help to improve your
mental health symptoms.
- What
are the potential side effects of the medication? You need to know
this because you need to know what to look for. Typically, side
effects will fade after a couple weeks. .
- How
long will you need to take the medication before you can expect to see
some improvement? Some medications, such as anti-anxiety medications,
start working as soon as you start taking them. Other medications,
such as anti-depressants, can take up to four weeks to start working.
- How
often do you need to return to the doctor to discuss how you’re
doing?
- Do
you need any tests to check for invisible side effects? One
medication, for example, reduces the white blood cell count in some
people so everyone needs to be monitored to ensure that their white
blood cell count doesn’t drop too low.
- If
you are participating in counseling, it will probably be with a
psychologist, a social worker, a nurse, or a licensed professional
counselor, since physicians rarely do counseling any more. How will
your physician and your counselor communicate? It’s important for
your ongoing care that they work together toward common goals.
When you start taking a mental health medication, it
helps to develop a routine for taking it. What reminders will you use?
Some people use an alarm watch. Some remember, “every day after
breakfast” or “every day after dinner.” Some use pillboxes with
different slots for different times and days of the week, and load the
boxes once a week.
Finally, it’s important to note any changes in your
behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Look for both positive as well as
negative changes. It helps to write them down so you can report accurately
to the doctor. Remember too, parents need to monitor the changes in their
child. And a responsible son or daughter may need to monitor the changes
in an elderly parent.
Recently there has been some controversy as to the
social impact of mental health medication. But what would you do if your
doctor recommended a mental health medication for you? This article has
offered some guidelines that can help.
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Rich Bayer,
Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a
practicing psychologist.
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For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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