If you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with ADHD, depression, or anxiety, it is hard to decide which route to take — medication only, therapy only or both.
This is a question that we get frequently at Cleveland Psychiatry Associates, often from patients looking for ADHD psychiatrists near me or a therapist near Strongsville.
And it IS girlfriend/mindful for everyone DISTINCTIVELY. We will look at both and what each entails, when one type is better than the other and why many people find that a combination of the two can be quite beneficial.
What Medication Can Do
What is certain is that medication can be a helpful treatment for mental health conditions. Eg in ADHD, medication frequently improves attention, impulse control and organisation. White Chestnut can help balance brain chemistry in order to provide relief from the symptoms of overwhelming depression or anxiety.
Benefits of medication include:
- Much quicker than therapy!
- Can also reduce symptoms to the point it may be considered a more feasible treatment for daily life
- Most often prescribed for mild to moderate, severe conditions
How to Know if Medication is the Right Choice
These are some of the most common circumstances under which a person might be instructed to take medication:
- Moderate to severe ADHD symptoms that always cause school, work, or social problems
- Major depression that prevents a patient from living or participating in therapy
- Severe anxiety (making everyday things a struggle to do)
The patients at Cleveland Psychiatry are thoroughly evaluated by psychiatrists prior to be prescribed. Medication is not one size fits all, and the selection of meds depends on your personal profile, health history, goals etc.
What Therapy Can Do
Therapy works on slowly building skills, gaining in emotional insight and coping mechanisms. Therapy for ADHD, on the other hand, may involve behavioral coaching, time management training and emotional regulation techniques. With anxiety or depression, that could mean CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy), mindfulness training, or other evidence-based approaches.
Benefits of therapy include:
- It makes you realize and improve your mindset
- Gives you tools to deal with it for life
- Root cause treatment of emotional struggles
- Some of the most frequent instances in which therapy may be prescribed are:
- When they teach you new techniques to handle stress or relationships
- Life changes or trauma
- AlTERNATIVES TO MEDICATION
At Cleveland Psychiatry, therapists near Strongsville and beyond frequently team up with psychiatrists to give patients a well-rounded approach to care.
Therapeutic Medication or Pills: Which is better?
Sometimes these are not either-or choices. Study after study demonstrates that using both therapy and medication as treatments usually works better than either alone, especially for ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
Medication alone may be best in:
- Most of the symptoms are biogenic
- The aim here is to get some fast relief pending the arrival of other supports
- Therapy alone may be the best solution when
- Symptoms are mild to moderate
- Patient prefers non-medication approaches
- Mainly stressors in life or patterns are commuter
When both might be best:
- Attention problems with hyperactivity and impulsivity (ADHD)
- Mild through severe depression or anxiety
- Mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety that require quick intervention AND long-term coping mechanisms
The Cleveland Psychiatry Approach
Cleveland Psychiatry Associates offers a variety of unique and individualized mental health care. Whether you are searching for ADHD psychiatrists near me or looking for a therapist near Strongsville we strive to create an appropriate treatment plan that is tailored specifically to your life, preferences and health needs.
The first thing we usually do is a full review. This includes:
- Reading medical and mental health histories
- Symptomatology and impact on daily life
- Exploring personal preferences about treatment
- From there, we may recommend:
- Seeking Therapy and Tracking Progress
- Drugged, but well integrated into therapy
- Medicating before starting therapy
Why Collaboration Matters
In my practice at Cleveland Psychiatry, I am proud to say that one of our advantages is great integration. They maintain open lines of communication (with your approval) to help ensure that your treatment is consistent and coordinated. This is critical for ADHD patients, where medication can enhance focus while therapy establishes strategies to achieve success in the long term.
Final Thoughts
Does psychotherapy or meds work better for you? Then, you are able to know which one is the best for you and change your plan along the way together with a good team.
If you in the struggling with ADHD psychiatrists near me or therapist near me and live around Strongsville, Cleveland Psychiatry Associates can help guide you toward mental wellness through medicine, therapy (and a combo of those two).
