Almost one in five adults in the U.S. has a mental illness, or about 53 million people. Mental illnesses can vary from mild and manageable by therapy alone to moderate or severe, requiring further intervention.
Let’s discuss what medication management means in treating mental illness, who can benefit from professional medication management, and where you can go in Atlanta and Alpharetta for outstanding mental health counseling services.
What Is Medication Management?
Medication management, known in this area of medicine as psychopharmacology, is using medication to treat and manage mental illnesses or psychological disorders. In particular, this approach focuses on making sure that the patient adheres to the prescription schedule, and also making sure that the prescribed medications do not have any contraindications with the person’s other medications or underlying health conditions.
Many things can cause psychological disorders, like genetic factors, trauma, or substance abuse, and one theory is chemical imbalance. The theory is that too many or too few neurotransmitters in the brain – like dopamine, a “happy hormone” – can lead to mental disorders because of off-balance brain chemistry.
Research has shown that there is an association between chemical imbalances in the brain and some psychological disorders, like depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. So, medications are used to restore chemical balance in the brain, which in turn can treat and regulate mental illnesses.
Medication that is implemented to treat psychological conditions can be potent even in small doses, so they are only available by prescription. Because it is so potent, this treatment warrants close supervision and partnership with someone who specializes in medication management.
How Can Medication Management Help Me?
Medication management is typically recommended for individuals whose mental health is not improving from talk therapy alone. In fact, it is common for people to be taking medication while also doing talk therapy, as medication can help boost the effectiveness of talk therapy by helping to regulate mood and behavior.
Therapists can use their clinical judgment to recommend that a patient seek medication. The therapist can refer the patient to a psychiatric provider, or the patient may seek out a psychiatric provider on their own.
If medication is prescribed, the therapist and psychiatric provider will work together over the course of the patient’s treatment to determine what kind of medication should be administered, at what dosage, and for how long. Depending on the case, medication can be given temporarily to help someone through a rough patch, or it can be taken long-term to manage a chronic condition.
Medication Management in Atlanta
If you have a mental illness or a behavioral disorder and are not improving from therapy alone, it may be time to consider adding medication management to your therapy. Here at Atlanta Specialized Care, we have several licensed therapists as well as an advanced practice psychiatric nurse practitioner on-staff who can prescribe medication. They work closely with our therapists to help treat and manage mental health issues of all types.
We are dedicated to providing you with the right treatment to get you feeling better and back to enjoying your life. To make an appointment, call us today at (770) 815-6853 or fill out our appointment request form online now. Mental illness can be extremely challenging to deal with, but we are here to help you every step of the way!
