Viewpoint: Is it time to seek an alternative to psychotropic medications?
Advancements in the field of neuroscience have pulled back the curtain into what was once the dark and mysterious subject of mental illnesses. Thanks to science, today we have an understanding (somewhat) of how the brain ought to function. We have been introduced to the world of neurotransmitters which are couriers facilitating communication between various brain cells. Overzealous or passive neurotransmitters have the tendency to fabricate redundant chemical reactions, leading to what we generally consider to be mental health disorders.
To counter the effects of these renegade neurotransmitters, the field of psychiatry in partnership with Big Pharma, introduced us to psychotropic medications which (we are told) work to fine-tune the chemicals in the brain. Psychotropic medications increase or decrease defined neurotransmitters, thereby mitigating the outturn of certain mental health disorders. These are the five main types of psychotropic medications: mood stabilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulants and anti-anxiety medications.
Critics and skeptics have drummed up questions and concerns regarding the effectiveness of treating mental health illnesses with medication. Today, we know for a fact that psychotropic medications are not a cure but provide some debilitating symptom relief without resolution of the underlying conditions. Also, these medications generate vexatious and risky side effects ranging from hallucinations, objectification, suicidal and homicidal ideations, mania, psychosis, heart attack to possible sudden death. Pause! It is not my intention to petrify, I only seek to inform and to educate.
There has been a growing movement towards using alternative forms of treatment options such as biofeedback, holistic medicine, hypnotherapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, psychotherapy and behavioral therapy among many. These therapeutic interventions and psychosocial treatment options confront the genesis of the illness, engender abiding difference, have no chemical side effects, and therefore proffer a safer alternative to medications. Research has found endorsement for the use of these interventions as the default or mental first aid modes of treatment. Several meta-syntheses and controlled, clinical trials have shown the effectiveness of non-medication forms of treatment on mood, behavior and mental illnesses.
Because medication is a quicker way to find relief, for some, it is undemanding to take a pill than it is to go through the rigors of conscientious behavior monitoring and adjustment, healing past trauma, rejecting, and correcting negative thoughts, distress tolerance and emotional modulation, and other forms of activities that advance a return to customary levels of functioning. It is intrinsically human to want the best results without putting in the hard work, and the same is true in the fight against mental illnesses.
Of late, some voices in the field of psychiatry have been sounding the alarm about the dangers as well as the ineffectiveness of using drugs to treat mental illnesses. Genuine concern has also been raised over the marriage of convenience between pharmaceutical companies and the field of psychiatry. Please note that this is not a call to ditch psychotropic drugs. This is an attempt at igniting a debate where the best minds, led by research and available data on the subject, can come to the table to challenge myths, uphold facts and strike the right tone for future action before we overprescribe ourselves into a generation of chemical robots. We certainly cannot prescribe our way out of this quagmire.
The fact that psychotropic drugs neither treat nor cure mental illnesses by exerting on theorized chemical imbalances or other abnormalities in the brain, is explosive enough to force the entire human train to apply the emergency brakes of common sense while we take a closer look at the available alternatives. The mythical powers of the chemical cure need to be further challenged and the relationship between the respected field of psychiatry and the powerful pharmaceutical industry needs to be thoroughly scrutinized.
And finally, families and individuals need to be educated enough about the supposed benefits and perceived harm of using psychotropic drugs as well as given all available information on alternative treatment options. If we hope for a mentally healthy society, we must not delay but start the conversation today.
Henry Mudari is a mental health social worker with the St. Joseph County Police Department Crisis Services Unit.The views and opinions he expresses are his own and do not represent the Police Department.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Some question effectiveness of treating mental illness with drugs
