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Medication Management
Are You Considering Medication Support For Mental Health Struggles?
Do your thoughts feel out of control? Are you so preoccupied with fear and worry that you can’t relax or sleep well? Has your therapist or doctor recommended that you try medication for your mental health issues?
Maybe you’re dealing with excessive anxiety that makes it hard to focus on work and enjoy the things you love. Perhaps you’re struggling to concentrate in school because of untreated ADHD. Or maybe depression makes everything in life feel like a chore and you have no motivation or energy to go about your day.
Navigating The Process To Get Help Can Be Confusing
Maybe you’ve taken medication before and didn’t like it, but you know you need more support now. If you’ve recently moved, you might be having trouble accessing caring providers. Perhaps you want help, but you’re not sure whether to look into therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
At Peninsula Child and Family Services, we have caring medication providers and therapists who will meet you where you’re at, listen to your struggles, provide empathic care, and develop a plan to help you manage your symptoms.
Mental Health Disorders Are Very Common
One in five adults live with a mental health disorder.* The important thing to remember is that, whether you have a disorder or not, mental health is on a spectrum. Everyone deals with hardships and struggles; but for some people, these issues resolve and do not recur. Others may have chronic mental health concerns that need ongoing support.
The impact of individual and societal trauma often contributes to mental health struggles. The pandemic led to societal stress on a massive scale. Millions of people have had to deal with sickness, grief, financial stress, and trouble adjusting to new school and work routines. The tragedy and uncertainty has made depression and anxiety all but universal.
Biological factors and genetics can also play a part in our mental health. Some disorders, like ADHD, have a big genetic component. And conditions like depression and anxiety can be affected by our genetic and biological makeup as well.
Comparisons Can Stop Us From Reaching Out For Help
Social Media has made it easy for us to compare our lives to others from afar, increasingly causing feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. However, digital communication plays a huge part in how most of us socialize and keep in touch, making it harder to avoid those comparisons that might bring us down.
As individuals, it’s also hard for us to see outside our own perspective and view ourselves objectively. When we look at everyone around us, it might seem like other people are so much happier and better off than we are, which can cause us to catastrophize our own experiences and decide that how we feel is somehow our own fault. And at other times, we might notice people who seem to have it rougher than we do. This can cause some of us to invalidate our own experiences by thinking, “other people have it worse than me, so I don’t need support.”
No matter what anyone else is going through, your experience matters and so does your mental health. You deserve to get the medication management services you need to help you overcome the challenges you’re facing.
Discover A Path To Healing With Our Medication Management Services
Our goal at Peninsula Child and Family Services is to provide you with a place where you feel safe enough to process your feelings and disclose sensitive information you may not tell others in your life. We aren’t here to give you a script and get you out the door. Instead, we are here to provide empathy and compassion and support you on your journey toward healing.
What To Expect
Before your first appointment, we will have you fill out an intake form with background information and what your primary concerns are. You will then have an intake appointment with one of our providers to discuss your symptoms and goals for treatment.
If you don’t have a mental health diagnosis, you may fill out screeners or questionnaires that can help us better understand the root of what’s going on. We work collaboratively to decide if medication management, therapy, or a combination of both is right for you.
Most of our sessions are held via telehealth. Depending on what type of medication you and your provider decide on, you may also have occasional in-person sessions.
Our Comprehensive Approach To Medication Management Is Tailored To Your Needs
Medication management is more than just handing you a prescription and sending you out of the door. Our approach is deeply solution-oriented. We want to get a solid grasp of the issues bothering you and use medication to help you alleviate your symptoms and restore your ability to function.
Our providers will work with you to understand what you’re struggling with. If you decide medication is right for you, they will make sure you understand the psychiatric medications they suggest and the management of any side effects you may experience. They will discuss ways to keep track of your progress.
Supporting you in your recovery means your provider will coordinate care with your primary care physician or therapist if you have one. They will help you develop specific skills to help your progress in treatment. Our office offers constant support so you can call or email your provider with any questions or concerns that come up in between appointments.
Most mental health issues are very treatable. Taking medication according to a plan developed with your provider is no different from taking medicine for high blood pressure, diabetes, or any other physical ailment. With treatment, you can get your symptoms under control and thrive again.
But You May Still Have Concerns About Medication Management…
I’m afraid of the side effects of medication.
You'll never know how helpful any medication is unless you try it. It could significantly improve your life in ways you can't even imagine. The side effects might be mild and the benefits could far outweigh them. By trying a medication, you're not committing to it forever. If it's not a good fit, you and your provider can discuss how to discontinue it and try something else or focus on therapy and non-pharmacological techniques.
Taking psychiatric medication makes me feel like I’m not strong enough.
Would you think someone who uses medication for diabetes or antibiotics for an infection is not strong enough? Your brain is just another organ. Mental health conditions are biological, just like illnesses and conditions that affect other parts of your body. Treatment for your mental health is no different than treatment for your physical health.
Will I need to be on medicine forever?
If your medication is helping you, there’s usually no need to quit taking it. If stopping medication is something you want to explore, we recommend being symptom free and stable for at least 6 months to a year. Then we can work on a plan to wean you off the medication while ramping up other forms of support (like therapy and lifestyle modifications). We’ll provide a close follow-up and lots of supervision to reduce the risk of your symptoms getting worse. In the end, however, whether or not you take medication is your decision—we can recommend it, but you’ll never be asked to do something you don’t want to.
Medication Management Can Reduce Your Symptoms And Help You Flourish
Don’t let your symptoms hold you back. It is possible to feel better and engage in your daily life with excitement once more. When you’re ready to speak to someone, you can call Peninsula Child & Family Services for a free consultation.
* https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness