Do you take some sort of medication for your problems? Including life problems?
We, unfortunately, live in a “fix it now, fix it fast” society, yet not everything has a quick fix. Every day we are bombarded with prescription drug commercials that promise to solve your problems in a jiffy, but if you listen to all the quickly blurted “fine print” of the side effects, it becomes clear that they could also cause more problems than they solve.
Do you really need drugs for psychological problems? This is a loaded question. The answer is—sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on what is going on biologically, chemically, environmentally and psychologically. No matter what medication you take, it’s not a magic pill that solves everything. For example, if you are a diabetic and take medication, you still need to learn skills as to how to eat properly and exercise regularly. I knew someone who thought their diabetes medication was the cure and they kept eating sweets every day and did not exercise. This, of course, didn’t lead to a positive outcome.
If you are receiving a psychotropic medication, such as an anti-depressant or an anti-anxiety medication, does it help you deal with other people and situations that life throws at you or are you using it as a crutch? No matter what your medication does (or doesn’t) do for you, you still need advanced skills to deal with life.
Medications or pill popping should come second after you have tried learning and utilizing these skills. Do pills help you communicate with your mother-in-law more effectively? I’m going to guess no on that one.
Pills can only do so much the rest is up to you. You need to take control and learn how to handle the sticky situations in life. In doing so, you’ll be prepared to handle absolutely anything that happens in your life. That alone provides a sense of calm and inner peace, which can never be taken away from you.
There are multiple research studies done that state medication (pills) plus psychotherapy (skills) have a better outcome than just pills alone. There are also various studies that have shown that some people can eventually taper off and discontinue use of their medications completely after learning various skills and techniques to cope with life.
Our brain is truly a hard working amazing organ that can learn and develop new coping mechanisms. Would you like to improve your skills?
For more information, please contact Dr. Lili Wagner at 661-644-5454.