Better together:

The Amazing Trifecta of Medication, Counseling, and Physical Wellness

When you seek help for depression, anxiety, or many mental health-related topics, often people will give you advice on a singular “fix,” as well-intending as they are. You might hear about a particular model of counseling that worked for them (ie., EMDR or CBT), or they may even caution against something like medication, or say you “just” need to go to the gym because it “releases endorphins.” These are all things I have heard in the field. What we do know is that many things can be helpful, and that some things are most helpful in combination with each other. That is, medication if warranted, counseling/therapy, and physical wellness all play an important part in you mental health, and when used together in part or in all, can make change that much more likely.

Although they go hand-in-hand, each have different functions that contribute to mental wellness. Medication helps regulate chemical imbalances that cause things like depression or anxiety, making life more manageable. Therapy can help you gain insight as to what is contributing to your problems and help you build new effective strategies for changing thoughts and behaviors when interacting with the world. Physical wellness (things like sleep, eating well, exercise, and even taking other prescribed medications) can also help regulate your moods and thoughts by helping ensure that things like your gut microbiome and neurotransmitters and hormones are well supported and ready to assist in bettering overall health. That certainly includes mental health, as we now know from years of research that there is an incredible mind-body connection. 

Mental health can not be fixed with a basic algorithm; it’s complex and sometimes overwhelming. This is why a multi-modal approach is often recommended by clinicians. The synergistic effect of medication, counseling, and physical wellness in combinations is profoundly more helpful than any one approach alone. Think of the example of growing fruits or flowers- they thrive when they have the right amount of sunlight, water, and when pollinators assist. Give yourself the best chance at thriving, too.