Should I Take Medication?

Are you wondering if you should be taking medication? There are a lot of medication that can be very helpful, but are they right for you? Watch this video for some helpful tips, but with a dose of humor, because laughter is the best non prescription medicine.

Next, watch 🎥 Why Traditional Therapy is Failing | $h^tTherapistsSay

🗓 Schedule a complimentary 15-minute Discovery Call with one of our therapists!

Buckle up and test your knowledge - from Friends to Euphoria to Bridgerton while growing your relationship skills and winning prizes!

Want to learn more about personalities? Watch this training:

00:00 Should I be on medicine?
01:00 What the meds are for
03:00 A diagnosis is not set in stone
08:00 You still do the work

#medication #mentalhealthawareness #mendedlight #jonathandecker

[katietoole]

I found I needed the pills IN ORDER TO eat better, exercise, and get enough sleep. Also, Taylor's "arm floaties" metaphor is one of my favorite things ever.

[lifelikelisa]

My mom has Bipolar Type II, I believe. Throughout my childhood, she would try a med here and there and then give up when it didn’t help right away. When I was ten years old, she found a medication that worked for her and I remember thinking, “Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen Mom happy.”

[jenb]

The thing that helped me to decide was my therapist telling me that I had good coping mechanisms but they weren't working for me anymore. That's when meds help

[polarberri]

Taylor Tomlinson is my favorite comedian - such smart and grounded humor. So awesome that you covered this!

[MorgynGreyWolfASMR]

When I when to my doctor for anxiety meds shortly after i graduated high school he told me I would most likely need them the rest of my life to regulate my chemical imbalance. About a year or 2 later I lost my health insurance and had to stop taking them cold turkey. They did help a bit but it turns out that what i really needed was just therapy and meditation. I am glad that i found what works for me and i hope others can find what works for them

[MmEbady]

I wish you reacted to the arm floaties analogy, it's the best part!

[LaLayla]

I was on an anti-depressent for moderate depression. I had other health issues and switched to a whole food plant-based diet and found that my moods stabilized after several months, so I stopped taking the pills. My mood remained stable, but I noticed that my focus was all over the place and started doing more reading on it. I have an appointment for an evaluation to see if I'm ADHD. That realization explains sooo much about my brain! I'm back on the anti-depressant because it does helps my focus, and we'll see what happens next.

[Alioo]

Amazing video! I was on lexapro for 2 years due to depression/anxiety which was always present and worsened pre menstrually and interfered with work and study. I am grateful for how they helped me function. I came off them when they stopped helping and i was in a better space anyway. I was also sick of not being able to orgasm. Coming off sucked. Now i find myself in a bit of a depressive episode again due to ambiguous grief (visited my family on the other side of the world and had to leave again) but I've been focusing on nutrition and exercise and seeing my counselor more often rather than surpressing these feelings i need to work through. Ups and downs but i will try my best to not need meds again as i dont like the dependency and side effects.

[eksassy]

I am so glad you had this video because I just had this conversation with my mom today. Should I take medication? You were my first step to finally seeking out a therapist. Thank you for all your positive videos!

[amylowery]

For me deciding to take medication was easy, I knew I needed help if I wanted to continue to live. What was exhausting was the process f finding the right medication to work for me. Some were not effective, some had side effects I could not tolerate. I must have tried 15-20 medications before I found one to work for me. It was hard, but I’m glad I stuck with it

[williamstollery]

A video that's speaking to things I've been struggling with for a while, especially with my ADHD and the struggle to both find and take meds for it!

Thought I'd share two songs showing both different mindsets I've been in on my journey - "I Miss The Mountains" (from the musical Next To Normal), and "God & Prozac".
It's a difficult battle I'm still struggling with, 2 years after starting meds, and I suspect I'll still be struggling with it forever. The question I've been asking myself that helps the most has been, as Jono says, "is it taking the edge off enough that I can do the rest of the work?".

[sathvamp]

I am so glad you mentioned that SOME cases of mood imbalances can be fixed with dietary changes... I've seen research revealing SO many mechanisms by which aspects of "bad food" can throw off mood... some of the research articles don't even mention mood at all but through basic biology background, I can see how it could happen. For ONE example, in order for the new gene featured in the "RoundUp Ready" specifically type of GMO crop to BE resistant to RoundUp, the new gene codes for a new enzyme that makes tyrosine and tryptophan "a different way".... BUT some research has shown that that new gene is LESS EFFICIENT than the old natural gene at making tyrosine and tryptophan. Why that is important is coming up further below in my comment, but first: It's not just in crop plants; that new gene HAS BEEN FOUND also in our gut bacteria (possibly from the process of microbial transformation or transfer of gene from GMO food to our bacteria, BUT even more likely it would have been from eating "probiotic" bacteria that ALREADY HAD the gene... because that new gene wasn't even made from scratch by scientists... it was FOUND in soil heavily contaminated with RoundUp... then used to make new GMO crops. When it comes to that gene in our bacteria, when it gets exposed to RoundUp (which is found in any food NOT labeled "organic"), it gets naturally "selected for".

SO, what is the big deal with "less efficient production of tryptophan and tyrosine by our bacteria, or less dietary sources"?  

But first by the way: OTHER studies have supported that other fact by separately pointing out that levels of "protein" (which are partly composed of tyrosine and tryptophan) were about 30% less in GMO crops than organic... and the lowered production of those amino acids of that new gene is probably why, although the paper didn't say that. I love connecting the dots!

SO, what is the big deal with "less efficient production of tryptophan and tyrosine by our bacteria, or less dietary sources"? Well (I hope you already know this, Jono)... those amino acids are the "raw materials" humans need to synthesize serotonin and dopamine. AND we make some melatonin out of some of that serotonin.

SO that means... theoretically... less of those amino acids (from NON-organic aspects of crops / food, specifically the "GMO factor")... would logically mean a neurotransmitter imbalance and risk of mood disorders (AND risk of sleep disorders because of the relatively lack of melatonin).

When I first read all those papers, I felt like I was speculating too much... but THEN a FEW YEARS LATER, after I thought of all that... I started to see research papers mentioning those same ideas lol!

[LadyVader]

Jonathan, I'd like your two cents on "The body keeps the score". It argues for options other than medication: emdr, yoga, etc

[serephita]

My provider (an NP who specializes in mental health) was very open from the beginning about my medications and what they're generally for. I am on a mood stabilizer and she told me straight up it's mainly for bipolar, but it does work for other conditions - in my case, PMDD. I honestly hadn't even realized that my PMS wasn't "normal" until I had a serious low that I hadn't had since starting my other medication, and recognized it in time to be able to make an appointment with her and got a diagnosis.

[May-qbvx]

I’ve been put on an SSRI and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not a serotonin problem. It’s an oxytocin problem. When I finally got an SO and getting human touch more regularly, that’s the only thing that made my anxiety and depression tamp down. The SSRI barely touches it

[katieleigh]

I’ve always said meds won’t get you to shore but they can get your head above the water long enough to let you figure out which way to swim.

[bethanypatrick]

Psychotherapy greatly helped with my anxiety and depression. I definitely had some childhood trauma I had to work through. At the age of 40, I finally decided to try medication for my ADHD. It was LIFE CHANGING. I didn't know what I had been missing out on. In addition to the effects I had hoped for, like the ability to focus, I saw numerous unexpected benefits. My brain was quiet for the first time EVER. I could focus on just one thought. I'm calmer. I'm better socially. I'm not butting into conversations with only mildly related comments because I'm paying attention to more than 5% of the conversation, so I actually know what is being discussed, and I can keep a single thought in my head of what I want to say so I don't impulsively blurt it out before I forget it. Being better socially has increased my self-esteem. I don't feel like life is one long, exhausting to-do list because I am more motivated and efficient at getting things done. I don't feel constantly overwhelmed because it's much easier to plan and tackle tasks. If I knew how much easier life could be, I would've tried medication 20 years ago.

[beccaburrington]

*psychiatrist is a Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy who has had specialized training in the practice of psychiatry and took boards showing they have proficiency in psychiatry. A psychologist has a PhD in psychology and in some states can also prescribe medication but they have not gone through medical school like a psychiatrist

[mhirhcp]

I was thinking about meds and my therapist said the same thing as you did - that I should first try exercise and also come see her and talk through things and learn techniques. And I started really working out regularly and now I always say that for me it's an anti anxiety pill. It's a way to get the negative energy out, shut down negative thoughts and it grounds me. Before I self harmed because it was easier to feel physical pain than mental and it grounded me. But now I usually avoid having to resort to that because I go for a workout instead. Honestly I'm relieved because I was afraid to get meds, happy I get to help myself this way but I know it's different for everybody.

[melitalyell]

What a great balanced video! I’ve found eating really healthy, exercise twice a day etc etc has worked for me but my sister has bi polar and needs heavy meds to function, we are all different.