Dear Addie,
I am someone who knows a lot of the ins and outs min the psychological field. I have gone to a level 5 school and been to an RTC. I used to be on medication but I have always hated how drugged up they make me feel. At the schools I have gone to they definitely believed in over-medication. I started feeling a little depressed lately and read about St. John's Wart online and was wondering if someone with a degree would recommend it. I know, at least in the US, this is not typically practiced in the therapeutic environment...you tend to promote other FDA approved medications, but I really am against them, unless in severe cases. -MedicallyQuestioning
Dear Medically,
I am not a psychopharmachologist or a psychiatrist. The people that I've worked with in therapy who are taking medications are working with a psychiatrist. Sometimes they discuss some issues or difficulties with a particular med and I usually suggest they speak to their doctor. Sometimes people think something is wrong with THEM because they are not feeling better, and sometimes worse, on a particular medication. NO NO NO. If a medication is not doing what it is supposed to be doing, you need to talk to your doctor and try another medication.
Not every drug works the same on every person. For example, most SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) are said to give a person some energy and that weight loss can be a side effect. But there are people who have a completely opposite reaction. They feel sleepy and gain weight.
A drug like Wellbutrin has been used to help people quit smoking although it's an antidepressant. Some people take it and report absolutely no side effects. Others feel "weird" on it. Same things are reported for some of the newer drugs, Lexapro etc.
Psychopharmachology is not an exact science. Each person is different. Sometimes you need 3 or 4 different tries before you get it right. The same can be said of dosage. A doctor and patient need to work together to get the dosage right. If you felt "drugged" that is not the drug for you.
As far as herbal remedies go, as with pharmaceuticals, I don't recommend anything. I leave that up to a medical doctor and a patient. Some doctors are open to certain herbal remedies and others are not. I usually do my own research before trying something. I took Melatonin for years to help me sleep and then someone told me they read that it was connected to memory loss. The person who told me this was a source I respected and I stopped taking it. You might have different sources for your research.
Research, research, research. NO MATTER WHAT Medication you are taking or trying. There is no substitute for being a well educated patient.
Know what you are taking. Know why you are taking it. If it doesn't feel right, talk to your doctor and only go on or off a medication under doctor supervision. Going on or off on your own can be dangerous.
Stay educated. Talk to your doctor. Do your own homework. Make informed decisions.
I am someone who knows a lot of the ins and outs min the psychological field. I have gone to a level 5 school and been to an RTC. I used to be on medication but I have always hated how drugged up they make me feel. At the schools I have gone to they definitely believed in over-medication. I started feeling a little depressed lately and read about St. John's Wart online and was wondering if someone with a degree would recommend it. I know, at least in the US, this is not typically practiced in the therapeutic environment...you tend to promote other FDA approved medications, but I really am against them, unless in severe cases. -MedicallyQuestioning
Dear Medically,
I am not a psychopharmachologist or a psychiatrist. The people that I've worked with in therapy who are taking medications are working with a psychiatrist. Sometimes they discuss some issues or difficulties with a particular med and I usually suggest they speak to their doctor. Sometimes people think something is wrong with THEM because they are not feeling better, and sometimes worse, on a particular medication. NO NO NO. If a medication is not doing what it is supposed to be doing, you need to talk to your doctor and try another medication.
Not every drug works the same on every person. For example, most SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) are said to give a person some energy and that weight loss can be a side effect. But there are people who have a completely opposite reaction. They feel sleepy and gain weight.
A drug like Wellbutrin has been used to help people quit smoking although it's an antidepressant. Some people take it and report absolutely no side effects. Others feel "weird" on it. Same things are reported for some of the newer drugs, Lexapro etc.
Psychopharmachology is not an exact science. Each person is different. Sometimes you need 3 or 4 different tries before you get it right. The same can be said of dosage. A doctor and patient need to work together to get the dosage right. If you felt "drugged" that is not the drug for you.
As far as herbal remedies go, as with pharmaceuticals, I don't recommend anything. I leave that up to a medical doctor and a patient. Some doctors are open to certain herbal remedies and others are not. I usually do my own research before trying something. I took Melatonin for years to help me sleep and then someone told me they read that it was connected to memory loss. The person who told me this was a source I respected and I stopped taking it. You might have different sources for your research.
Research, research, research. NO MATTER WHAT Medication you are taking or trying. There is no substitute for being a well educated patient.
Know what you are taking. Know why you are taking it. If it doesn't feel right, talk to your doctor and only go on or off a medication under doctor supervision. Going on or off on your own can be dangerous.
Stay educated. Talk to your doctor. Do your own homework. Make informed decisions.
