Psychiatric Treatment for Better Mental Health
Mental health is essential for overall health. Mental health disorders such depression, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder can severely impact a person’s quality of life. While psychotherapy, support groups, and lifestyle changes can be effective solutions, psychiatric treatment is often necessary for optimal improvement. Psychiatric treatment involves meeting with a medically trained psychiatrist or mental health professional who specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating mental health disorders while incorporating evidence-based medication management into treatment recommendations.
Mental Health Professionals Can Identify The Correct Diagnoses and Appropriate Medications:
Different mental health disorders often have overlap in their symptoms, making it challenging to identify correct diagnoses and appropriate medications. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals can make an accurate diagnosis following an extensive evaluation that utilizes a biological, psychological and social approach while listening with attention and compassion to your personal life experience. This evaluation involves gathering and synthesizing information about genetic predispositions, contributing medical factors, psychological tendencies and your social history. Understanding your past medical and psychiatric history can help in identifying the medications that may be best suited to treat your mental health condition while avoiding potential undesirable side effects.
Psychiatric Treatment Helps You Adhere to a Schedule:
Psychiatric medications must be taken at the prescribed time and dosage to be effective. Skipping medication, taking too much, or taking it at the wrong time can result in symptoms getting worse. Discontinuing medications too soon due to either transient side effects or a rapid improvement in symptoms can lead to a relapse in symptoms as well. Mental health professional will give you instructions for when and how often throughout the day to take the medication, and will assist you with any medication-related issues.
Mental Health Professionals Will Monitor Medication Benefits and Potential Side Effects:
The benefits and potential side effects of psychiatric medications vary from person to person and can only be effectively monitored by qualified mental health professionals. They will work closely with you during your appointments so that you can make informed decisions about your medication management.
Psychiatric Treatment is Especially Important During a Crisis:
If you are in a state of crisis and are at imminent risk of harming yourself or others, please go to the nearest emergency department, call 911, or call or text 988. Upon evaluation in the emergency department, you may require a higher level of care, including intensive outpatient treatment or inpatient psychiatric hospitalization treatment to stabilize your mental health. Upon completion, it is recommended that you continue with outpatient psychiatric treatment upon hospital or program discharge.
Psychiatric Treatment Can Be Essential for a Healthy, Fulfilling Life:
Psychiatric treatment can help people living with mental health disorders improve the quality of their lives by gaining more control of their life through a deeper self understanding, and through significant reduction in the symptoms that are keeping them from leading meaningful lives and having fulfilling relationships.
Conclusion:
Psychiatric treatment plays a critical role in improving mental health disorders. Adhering to your mental health professional’s recommended medication regimen can positively impact your life by keeping symptoms under control and preventing future worsening of symptoms. Outpatient psychiatric treatment can prevent crises from happening and assist people discharged from higher levels of care following a mental health crisis. Through a strong partnership with shared and informed decision-making, mental health professionals can help you lead a more healthy, meaningful, and fulfilling life while managing your mental health disorder. If you are interested in learning more about how Metta Psychiatry could help you, please contact us today.