When Is Medication Used for Mental Health?

San Francisco, California, resident Joseph Kenan works as a psychiatrist at his own practice. Having completed psychiatry fellowships in forensic and child psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai and UCLA, Joseph Kenan predominantly works as a psychopharmacology specialist who promotes peace of mind among patients via medication management.

When it comes to mental health conditions, medications are predominantly used to treat symptoms. Once the medication is stopped, these symptoms typically return. However, they do give patients a break from their symptoms so they can more easily focus on managing their mental illnesses as best as possible. They are usually part of an overall treatment program, rather than a complete treatment solely on their own.

Medications are not all the same, though. Some react with a person’s body differently than others, thus leading to different side effects. People must find which medications work best for them in terms of the benefits and potential risks of the drug. This is why switching medications is not uncommon for people seeking treatment for mental health conditions. If one medication is not helping, there is nothing wrong with discussing a switch with a medical professional.