Should You Medicate Your Symptoms?

Natalie Mills San Francisco Psychotherapy and Coaching, San Francisco Counseling, San Francisco Therapy, San Francisco CA Therapists, San Francisco CA Therapist, San Francisco CA Couples Counseling, couples therapy san francisco ca, couples therapist san francisco ca, San Francisco Marriage Therapy, San Francisco Marriage Counseling, San Francisco Coaching, EMDR therapists in San Francisco, EMDR therapist in san Francisco ca, EMDR therapy in San Francisco CA, psychologist in san francisco, female psychotherapist san francisco, psychotherapist in san francisco, marriage and family therapist in san francisco, relationship therapy in san francisco, help with intimacy therapy san francisco, help with intimacy San Francisco, parenting issues san Francisco therapy, help for depression in san francisco, depression treatment san francisco, anxiety treatment san Francisco, help for anxiety san francisco, addiction treatment San Francisco, alcoholism treatment san francisco ca, help with substance abuse san francisco, eating disorders, help with anorexia san francisco, help with bulimia san francisco, help with binge eating disorder san francisco, learning self-care, EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, self-compassion therapy san francisco, family therapy san francisco, eating disorder therapist in San Francisco ca, eating disorder specialist san francisco, pre marital therapy san francisco, couples therapy san francisco, couples therapist San Francisco, pre marital counseling san francisco, recovering from an eating disorder san francisco, help with eating disorder san francisco, treatment for anorexia san francisco ca, treatment for bulimia san francisco ca, treatment for binge eating san francisco ca, addiction treatment san francisco ca, treatment for substance abuse san francisco, eating disorder treatment San Francisco, mental health san francisco, mental health therapist san francisco, mental health professional san francisco, healing from shame san francisco, recovering from infidelity san francisco ca, career counseling san francisco, trauma recovery san Francisco therapy ca, trauma treatment san francisco ca, mental health support in san francisco, treatment for shame san francisco, secual abuse specialist san francisco ca, treatment for sexual abuse san francisco therapy, trauma treatment San Francisco, PTSD therapist in San Francisco ca, therapy for PTSD in San Francisco ca, trauma specialist san francisco, PTSD specialist san francisco, treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder san francisco ca, anger management therapy san francisco, stress management therapy san francisco, help with communication san francisco, performance enhancement coaching san francisco, attachment-based therapy san francisco, attachment-based therapist san francisco, mindful meditation therapy san francisco, sex therapy san francisco, sex therapist san francisco, sexuality specialist therapy san francisco, treatment for sexual abuse san francisco, psychospiritual therapy san francisco ca, grief therapy san francisco ca, feminist therapy san francisco, treatment for Narcissistic personality disorder san francisco, treatment for borderline personality disorder san francisco, marriage counseling san francisco, attachment-focused therapy san francisco, internal family systems therapy san francisco, internal family systems therapist in san francisco, choosing a therapist in san francisco, choosing the right therapist in san francisco, how to choose a therapist san francisco, find a therapist in san francisco, female therapist in san francisco, finding the right therapist san francisco, ethical non-monogamy affirming therapist in san francisco ca, ethical nonmonogamy affirming therapist in san francisco ca, polyamory affirming therapist san francisco ca

Let’s talk about another controversial issue- psychotropic medication. There’s a place for psychotropic medication (SSRIs, MAOIs, etc.). I just don’t think that place is with every single person who reports experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Sometimes, a psychoactive medication can indeed be helpful for someone who exhibits symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can help to give the person a little bit of “space” from the severity of their symptoms and help them to access psychotherapy (and other therapeutic modalities). In this case, the medication is often used short term.

While it’s great to keep in mind the helpful nature of psychoactive drugs, medication is not always useful or even indicated for all types of symptoms. I recommend seeing a specialist, especially when it comes to your health. This means, if you are interested in or curious about medication, consider seeking treatment from a psychiatrist instead of your general health practitioner. To figure out the best course of action for your treatment, you can interview psychiatrists to find out who might be the best fit for you.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, our responsive feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are the result of our neural pathways. From circumstance and experience, the human brain learns which neural pathways to reinforce. You’ve probably heard that a group of people can have the same circumstance applied to their lives and experience it differently. This is thanks to our neural pathways!

We reinforce particular neural pathways every day. Sometimes this process is more reflexive than others. We are reinforcing certain neural pathways when we say to ourselves, “Ugh, I reeeaaaally don’t want to go to work today,” and when we head to the fridge after a stressful day, regardless of our level of hunger and when we say, “I can’t go out dancing unless I get really drunk! I’m so awkward,” and when we yell at the person who cut us off as we approach the on-ramp.

This both reflects and impacts our self-confidence, our self-acceptance, our happiness, and our quality of life. It is the running story we tell about our relationships, feelings, jobs, capabilities, our lives, and ourselves. It is the living story that we perpetuate. We can choose a different way of thinking, a different response to our thoughts and feelings. It takes commitment, consistency, and motivation, but… what is more motivational than the knowledge that you can improve your happiness by managing your uncomfortable symptoms with your brain?!

You can start with slow progress, using the one out of one hundred rule (when you successfully manage your symptoms one out of every one hundred possible chances). This will be the start of shifting your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors! It will be the start of welcome relief from your symptoms and the start of your freedom. (And the more consistent you are, the better you will feel!)

To find out more about the treatment of anxiety and depression without medication, please contact me. I would love to shed some more light on this for you.

 

Love and Be Loved,
Natalie

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