Mind Mantra

Why would you want to see a therapist?

Psychotherapy helps you work through emotional or psychological pain or stress.  Stress comes from being unable to cope with some aspect of your personal life, whether it is work, family, or relationships. Psychotherapy provides a confidential and non-judgmental environment where you can openly explore your thoughts, beliefs, behaviours and emotions. 

Sometimes, you just want some input or advice about a situation - that is counseling. Sometimes, you need to shift some fundamental or core beliefs about yourself, or others, or about the world around you- that is psychotherapy.  For example, you may have thoughts like “I should always be perfect”, or “I should always be there for others.”  While these thoughts can make you feel good about yourself, they can also lead to mental stress when you are not able to keep true to them.

Often, our thinking becomes distorted and we make false assumptions about ourselves and others. Through psychotherapy, we can replace unhealthy perceptions with more healthy ones that serve our needs according to the situation at hand.

If you are stressed out, to the point that your sleep, concentration or ability to enjoy life is affected, think about psychotherapy as an option to help you explore how to make changes for better emotional and psychological health. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.

Next week, I will talk about the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. I can always be reached at 416.566.8252.

Anxiety Medications

Treating anxiety disorders with medications can be complicated.  The medications used for depression can also be effective for treating anxiety disorders, such and panic disorder or generalized anxiety. This class of drugs is called “SSRI’s” or “SNRI’s.” For example, Effexor or Paxil are common medications used to treat anxiety. They are not addictive and must be taken for a few weeks before they are fully effective.

Some medications can be addictive. Typically, these medications are called Benzodiazepines and can be used briefly to help people through stressful situations like losing a loved one for example or, short-term work related stresses. In these scenarios, they are very effective. But if you are taking these medications every day for many months, you can become dependant on them.

You can ask your doctor or psychiatrist what  best type of medication is for your individual situation. Remember, research shows that medications work best when you are also getting psychological treatment , like psychotherapy. 

For more information, you can always reach me at 416-566-8252. Next week, I will comment on Psychotherapy.

Medications for your Mental Health

Medications for treating mental health can be very complicated.  Anti-anxiety and antidepressants or sleeping pills are not all the same. Some are even addictive.

Depression can be linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain, called serotonin. SSRI’s are a class of medications used to treat depression. They help to restore the right balance of serotonin in your blood stream.  They are not considered addictive although you should not stop taking them abruptly.

You need to take these medications in prescribed doses for at least one month before you can tell they are working or not; and typically, you need to stay on them for a minimum of six months. A family doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe them.

Just remember, medications alone are not always the “cure.”  Psychotherapy along with antidepressants often have the best and lasting results. Next week, I will tell you about medications for anxiety.