Medications for Mental Health

Medications are such an integral part of treatment for mental illness.  This brochure gives a brief overview.  Of course information is given about specific medication when is is prescribed.

Each category includes specific medications.  Of course each medication comes with benefits.  Medications are taken to reduce symptoms, prevent relapse and improve quality of life.  Successful medication treatment requires taking them as prescribed, take them at the same time each day, do not change you dose, follow instructions with regards to take with food or not, do not stop taking or reduce the dose without talking to your doctor.  Report to your doctor and allergies you may have, if you are taking other drugs , including street drugs, are pregnant or breast-feeding, have diabetes, kidney liver or heart disease, are on a special diet, drink alcohol or smoke, experience side effects.

**Schizophrenia: Drug Free Options?

Are there drug free treatments or drug free options for schizophrenia.  Dr. Ed Zimney says no.
www.everydayhealth.com/schizophrenia/specialists/is-drug-free-schizophrenia-treatment-possible.aspx?pos=4&xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20140324
He compares schizophrenia to insulin dependent diabetes, which can be very scary if someone neglects to take insulin, and so would it be scary if someone stops taking medications for schizophrenia.  The reason is that without medications, there is the likelihood that relapse will occur, if not in a week, it will in a month or two.  With each relapse, the base line functioning goes down, and Dr. Zimney points out that brain cells can be killed, which will never come back.
Medications, even with their side effects, is the only treatment for schizophrenia which has been shown to be effective.
That said, rehab options and case management options are an important part of treament.  (My addition.)