Should I Take Psychiatric Medications For My PTSD?
Making the decision to take psychiatric medication to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be difficult. Even though PTSD is most commonly (and successfully) treated with a combination of therapy and medication, some of us are reluctant to take psychiatric medication as part of our recovery. There are many valid reasons for and against using medication as treatment for PTSD, and careful consideration and education are needed to weed through them. Talking to your psychiatrist openly and honestly is important in making the decision whether or not to use psychiatric medications as part of your PTSD recovery.
Things to Consider about Taking Medication for PTSD
When I was diagnosed with PTSD, taking psychiatric medication wasn't something I wanted to do, I was hesitant to even give it a try. I didn't want to be reliant on medication 
for my mental health; I wanted to be able to get better on my own. But after many failed attempts at recovery with therapy alone, I realized that medication was something that I needed to try. I decided, with the help of my psychiatrist, that taking medication was my best course of action.
It took patience and commitment to find the right combination of medication for my PTSD treatment, but it has made all the difference in my life. That said, it was still a difficult decision to make and I there were things I carefully considered. These are some of the questions I asked myself in making my decision to continue using medication as part of my recovery from PTSD.
- Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
- Does taking medication improve the quality of life for me and others around me?
- What are my motives for not taking medication?
- What are my expectations about taking psychiatric medication?
Answers to Concerns about Taking Medication for PTSD Recovery
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APA Reference
DeLoe, J.
(2015, December 2). Should I Take Psychiatric Medications For My PTSD?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 5 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/traumaptsdblog/2015/12/should-i-take-psychiatric-medications-for-my-ptsd
Author: Jami DeLoe
PTSD as symbol of up to date psychiatric entity exhibits intrigued psycho-social issue. It has got specific etio-pathogenic, diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic course, which ones are interlaced personal, psycho-social and socio-cultural characteristics. On general, medication of PTSD is crucial step on satisfying psychiatric treatment of this biopsychosocial disorder. Moreover, psychiatric medication indicates great and irreplaceable help to current psychiatric treatment and management of PTSD. It goes without saying, the combination of medication approaching and psychosocial intervention is precondition of successful treatment of PTSD. Without needed psycho-pharmacologic approaching the treatment, as well as recovering of PTSD would be crippled and with many unpredictable dangerous health consequences for person with this modern psychiatric disorder. For these and many others bad repercussions of untreated with medication of PTSD, taking of psychiatric medication is "conditio sine qua non" for PTSD. Surely, medication should be under close supervision of experienced clinical psychiatric, because psychothropic medication should take under strictly and specific criteria.
Best is to take them. But try to exercise and slowly get off them if possible. May take time. Good luck.