By Nancy Virden (c)2017, 2026 AlwaysTheFight.com
Doubts about psychiatric medications may come from watching a person try them and remain in an emotional or mental struggle. There are at least three reasons why these meds do not always help like we might wish.
(1) The patient is non-compliant due to their illness.
A study on patient compliance to medical treatment states, “…depression continues to play a central role in nonadherence.”¹ Think about it. Depression challenges our ability to think beyond the negative. Hopelessness can bring a person to the point where trying anything makes no sense. Depression saps our energy and motivation. A giant I don’t care may shadow our days. Depression can tell us we are not worthy of treatment, and who cares if we live or die. There may be trust issues.
Adherence, or compliance, means taking medication as prescribed. Timing and dosage are important. Taking it with food, water, or on an empty stomach affects how the medication works.
A common mistake is that someone will take meds, feel better, then go off the meds without doctor supervision. Anxiety may cause one to cancel appointments or leave prescriptions unfilled. It is difficult to maintain any schedule when your mental health is struggling. I knew a young man who wanted his family to dole out his meds for him because he continued to forget to take them when in a manic state of mind.
The client may not inform the psychiatrist of these issues. The doctor’s hands are tied for lack of information.
(2) The medication needs adjusting.
Psychotropic medications require specific dosages for different people. Finding the best balance may take some time. Meanwhile, functioning can remain a challenge.
Some medicines can have a dual purpose. For example, in a higher dose, one drug relieves anxiety, and in a lower dose, the same drug helps with depression. Psychiatrists are specialized MDs with expert understanding of the brain. Their job is to prescribe medication.
Unfortunately, finding effective treatment may take longer for one person than for most. This does not mean there is no hope!
(3) The patient refuses co-treatments.
Psychotropic medications are not “happy pills.” If we are expecting them to fix a negative personality or relationship problems, we will be disappointed.
How one typically thinks may be unhealthy. Medication cannot make us reasonable if we refuse to do the work of change. Seeing a licensed therapist is important. Yet even that is not enough without our full participation.
Co-occurring disorders such as addiction add another layer to treatment needs.
Do you know someone who takes medication and is not improving? Find out if any of the above are interfering. If that person is you, keep trying. Asking for support and communicating honestly with your professional mental healthcare team is an important first step.
-COMMENTS WELCOME
Today’s Helpful Word
Nahum 1:7 NIV
The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
If you are feeling suicidal or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S., call 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. For a list of international suicide hotlines, go here.
If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S. or go to your nearest emergency room; in the EU, call 112. (For other international emergency numbers, go here.) Hope and help are yours!
Always the Fight Ministries (ATFM) has been displaying compassion for those fighting mental illness, addiction, or abuse since 2012. Nancy is the founder and voice of ATFM and openly shares her emotional resurrection from despair.
NOTE: Nancy is not a doctor or a mental health professional and speaks only from personal experience and observations. This website is not intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.
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