By Dr. Kathryn Tolle
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/09/psychotherapy.aspx
*This blog is in reaction to the article referenced above.
The good news, therapy works, the bad news, fewer people are utilizing this wonderful resource! I believe that there are many different reasons for why people may or may not choose therapy, some of those reasons are quite practical (it takes time and money) and some are based off of misunderstanding what therapy is all about (e.g. some people think therapy is about complaining rather than fixing problems). While medication is certainly a viable treatment option, it is my personal belief that most of the time, it is not the most efficient option. This may sound counter-intuitive. What could be more simple than taking a pill?
One reason I say this is that many psychotropic medications (this means drugs that are designed to treat mental health disorders) often take several weeks to start to take effect. Therapy can have a quicker effect (though not always) with few side effects. Secondly, the proper dosage and actual medication can take time to sort out. It may also be the case that the drug itself is expensive. Not to mention potential side effects that can actually make the situation worse (for example it is documented that some antidepressants may actually contribute to suicidal thoughts).
Therapy is an option that can be quite useful for most people. There is this popular belief out there (and I have heard it many times in my office) that people have depression due to a "chemical imbalance." While this actually might be true, few people realize that behaviors can shape the chemicals that are readily available in your brain. For example, smiling more frequently has been shown to increase serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins (all the chemicals that create positive feelings) (1). This is also likely the reason that exercise is an effective mood lifter. Therapy is so effective because it involves understanding the behavior, thoughts, and feelings that may be contributing to a person's distress. Furthermore, it helps that individual learn alternative coping strategies so that in the future this may help someone manage or even prevent the sorts of feelings that brought them to therapy in the first place. Therapy and medication is much like the old adage, give a person a fish, they eat for a day, teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.
I do want to note that medication most definitely has its place and has been shown to be helpful for some. It is just my belief that overall, we may not be considering all treatment options. Please consider talking to your doctor about the possibility of therapy if s/he mentions medication to help treat depression or anxiety. If you need more information about this treatment option, we welcome you to look at our website or contact us directly and we could give you more information.
1- R.D. (2000). Neural correlates of conscious emotional experience. In R.D. Lane & L. Nadel (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of emotion (pp. 345–370). New York: Oxford University Press.
The good news, therapy works, the bad news, fewer people are utilizing this wonderful resource! I believe that there are many different reasons for why people may or may not choose therapy, some of those reasons are quite practical (it takes time and money) and some are based off of misunderstanding what therapy is all about (e.g. some people think therapy is about complaining rather than fixing problems). While medication is certainly a viable treatment option, it is my personal belief that most of the time, it is not the most efficient option. This may sound counter-intuitive. What could be more simple than taking a pill?
One reason I say this is that many psychotropic medications (this means drugs that are designed to treat mental health disorders) often take several weeks to start to take effect. Therapy can have a quicker effect (though not always) with few side effects. Secondly, the proper dosage and actual medication can take time to sort out. It may also be the case that the drug itself is expensive. Not to mention potential side effects that can actually make the situation worse (for example it is documented that some antidepressants may actually contribute to suicidal thoughts).
Therapy is an option that can be quite useful for most people. There is this popular belief out there (and I have heard it many times in my office) that people have depression due to a "chemical imbalance." While this actually might be true, few people realize that behaviors can shape the chemicals that are readily available in your brain. For example, smiling more frequently has been shown to increase serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins (all the chemicals that create positive feelings) (1). This is also likely the reason that exercise is an effective mood lifter. Therapy is so effective because it involves understanding the behavior, thoughts, and feelings that may be contributing to a person's distress. Furthermore, it helps that individual learn alternative coping strategies so that in the future this may help someone manage or even prevent the sorts of feelings that brought them to therapy in the first place. Therapy and medication is much like the old adage, give a person a fish, they eat for a day, teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.
I do want to note that medication most definitely has its place and has been shown to be helpful for some. It is just my belief that overall, we may not be considering all treatment options. Please consider talking to your doctor about the possibility of therapy if s/he mentions medication to help treat depression or anxiety. If you need more information about this treatment option, we welcome you to look at our website or contact us directly and we could give you more information.
1- R.D. (2000). Neural correlates of conscious emotional experience. In R.D. Lane & L. Nadel (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of emotion (pp. 345–370). New York: Oxford University Press.
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