You are justified in your concerns about “putting strong drugs in my body,”  as many of my  clients put it.  How do you decide if it is the right thing to do?

It depends on how severe the depression, anxiety or bi polar symptoms are; how much it is effecting your life.  Some people with mild to moderate symptoms are sure they are not being effected enough to warrant the use of psychotropic drugs. Other people can get a clearer perspective by talking  with the people they are close to and spend a lot of time with.  The people who live around you can often see changes in you that, subjectively, you can’t see but can recognize  when they are pointed out.

Let’s say that your mood problem is effecting your life enough that you want to do something for relief. You can try the medication, see  how helps, and then decide whether or not to stay on it.  You can also try holistic methods, like daily aerobic exercise (for depression), acupuncture or homeopathy. I’ve had clients stop therapy because one of these methods improved their life so much they didn’t need it any more.

Of course there are people  who stay on a maintenance dose of medication to keep their lives worth living. Many have told me they are  glad the medicine exists, knowing that generations back people just suffered.

I strongly recommend seeing a professional if you think you have one of these mood problems.  Good therapists can often determine if the kind of problem you are struggling with will respond to medication or holistic help. You don’t need to suffer, or function at a lower level than you can.  Take hold of your life, it belongs to you. Make it good.