Whether you see a psychiatrist or a psychologist depends on what is most beneficial to you. Certain mental health disorders are easier to treat with medication or therapy. For example, if you have severe symptoms or are thinking about taking medicine for your condition, it might be best to see a psychiatrist for an initial evaluation and ongoing care. However, if you are looking for therapy or counseling services, you may want to consider working with a psychologist. 

Medication management is a type of treatment that psychiatrists use to help people who take psychotropic drugs. Most of the time, this treatment involves ongoing care to manage or treat mental health condition symptoms. 

During medication management sessions, psychiatrists will look at your current medications and make suggestions about how to best deal with your symptoms by adding new medications or changing the doses of the ones you already take. They may also help you better deal with your mental health condition by giving you counseling, psychoeducational therapy, and behavioral therapy.

Research shows that a combination of therapy and psychotropic drugs can help a lot of people with a wide range of mental health problems. Because each person’s needs are unique, our psychiatrists take time to carefully understand each patient’s background and respectfully listen to concerns and questions about using medication to manage symptoms.

Our psychiatrists also think about how therapy can work with medication to help the patient learn skills and find support. This helps them come up with a well-rounded plan for treatment. 

Antidepressants are a class of medications that impact serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These are naturally-occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters that affect mood and other areas of functioning. These medications are often effective in managing depression and anxiety disorders.

Mood stabilizers

Mood stabilizers are another type of medication that is used to treat specific types of depression including bipolar disorder. Some medications of this type require regular blood tests to monitor and ensure that the medication is at appropriate levels in the body.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines help treat panic attacks and symptoms related to intense anxiety, including insomnia. Because these medications are short-acting (i.e., they have a stronger effect in a shorter amount of time), they are categorized as controlled substances. They also benefit from close monitoring to lower the risk of addiction.

Stimulants

Stimulants are used to treat attention difficulties, including both inattentiveness and hyperactivity characteristic of ADHD diagnoses.

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics are used to treat different types of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. They can also be used to improve treatments for bipolar and depressive disorders.

There is no definitive answer to this question, as the length of time you may need to take psychotropic medication will depend on various factors.

These factors can include your mental health diagnosis, preferences for psychotropic drugs as part of your treatment plan, how well the medication works for you in managing symptoms, and any side effects that you may experience.
Your psychiatrist can help you figure out what kind of care you need and will probably suggest that you see him or her regularly to check on your progress and make any changes to your treatment plan that you might need. 

Ultimately, it is important to remember that working with a qualified psychiatrist is essential to achieving overall health and wellness by managing mental health conditions effectively.

If you are struggling with thoughts or actions related to your mental health, it is important to reach out for help as soon as possible. With the support of a psychiatrist and other treatment providers, you can find relief and thrive in all aspects of your life.

Psychotropic medications can provide increased effectiveness in managing the symptoms of mental illnesses.

Certain medications can also help with decreasing triggers and cravings for people struggling with substance use. We believe these benefits are more achievable when providers are attentive and responsive to each individual’s mental health needs and treatment goals.

For certain patients, medication management of symptoms may be even more effective in conjunction with therapy and other scientifically proven treatments.

Additional benefits from psychotropic medications may include:

• Improved mood
• Less extreme ups and downs
• Increased ability to focus and organize
• Calming anxiety
• Lowering the intensity of disruptive thoughts