Originally posted by: buttercups2020
Thank you.
I am from the same field and i really would like to know why he was put on medication directly? As a doctor myself , i dont jump to giving my patients medication , forget strong ones. If after therapies and cbt and counselings dont work, then we shift to medicines.
Anti anxiety drugs (I wont be taking the name of medicine as it is unethical) are short term because of their addictive nature. Not many bodies are compatible to many of these and hence we start with smallest possible dosage so that it is easier to take off in case of any rejection from the body.
If at all he was on sedative anti anxiety only, and if his body had started shivering, there is a possibility he was taking them for a very long time before he stopped it ; which itself is questionable. Why was he given a medicine like this for a long time when they can be addictive!
If they were not anti anxiety drugs but actual anti depressants and his body rejected it then it was necessary to change his medication. But the worst part is, there is also a possibility that he never required those medicines.
Even in early depression or mid way, constant cbt and sessions are the first steps taken!!
And it is said he was admitted in hospital for deep depression ; what does it even mean?
He had anxiety issues! There is a possibility he had nervous breakdown. Why is it called deep depression just like this?
Hey..
Actually anti depressants work as anti anxiety drugs too. Here since the person i was replying to is not a doctor, i was trying to simplify it for her.
See, first it is not counseling, it is psychotherapy.
Initially when the patient comes we straightaway don't do counseling.
Initial work up is not counseling but a Psychiatric interview where we allot some time to the patient to first tell us what brings him to us. Based on his entire life story (family history, personal history, pasf medical history and personality) including what brought him to us, we always look for what will help him best.
If the patient meets the criteria for the illness, we start him on medication depending on severity. If its psychosis, we directly start medication because in most cases even self care is lost. If its bipolar mania, event then we start with medication.
If its major depressive disorder..(unfortunately minor depression is not a valid diagnosis) , if its just sadness of mood and other criteria for depression are not being met, we mostly look for adjustment problems .
If there is some issue going on and their sadness of mood is because of that, it again goes into diagnosis of adjustment disorder. For adjustment disorder, unless there is a valid reason to prescribe, we don't. We advice psycho therapy..
For anxiety, because sometimes patients may get panic attacks too, it is always better to start medication and only therapy wont work mostly.
Medication along with therapy is most beneficial. Not therapy alone.
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