Can Learning to Manage Your Stress More Effectively Help Psychiatric Medications to Work Better?

Psychiatric medications can help to improve symptom frequency and severity for many conditions. Medication management has been found to be effective in treating conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, schizophrenia and many more. While these medications can be remarkably effective, they are impacted by a variety of other factors. These factors can include lifestyle choices, diet, exercise habits, interpersonal relationships and yes, STRESS!

Chronic stress not only affects your physical health but also your mental health. When you are constantly on edge it impacts how you feel and can even impact how your medications work. Learning how to manage your stress effectively not only helps to improve how you feel but also how your body responds to your medications.

The Relationship Between Stress and Your Mental Health

Stress is a natural, unavoidable aspect of being a human being. When we perceive a threat, physical or emotional, our body will be triggered to release cortisol and other stress hormones. While acute stress can be beneficial in certain situations, chronic stress disrupts brain chemistry, increases inflammation, and impairs the regulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine—chemicals often targeted by psychiatric medications.

For individuals with mental health disorders, chronic stress can:

  • Worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression
  • Increase the risk of relapse or recurrence
  • Decrease motivation and adherence to medication regimens
  • Alter the body’s response to medications

How Can Stress Affect Medication Efficacy?


Stress can affect liver enzyme activity, especially those involved in drug metabolism (e.g., CYP450 enzymes). This can lead to either increased breakdown (reducing effectiveness) or slowed metabolism (increasing side effects) of psychiatric medications.

Stress-induced inflammation has been linked to reduced responsiveness to antidepressants. Elevated inflammatory markers like cytokines can blunt the effects of SSRIs and other psychiatric medications meaning that it can take longer to start feeling better.

When our stress level is high it can feel difficult to do much of anything. We can feel paralyzed and stuck, unable to do the things we know we need to do to feel our best. Taking medications consistently can be one of the things we simply feel unable to do.

Stress Management and Medication Effectiveness

Learning how to better manage your stress can help you in so many life areas. Not only can you begin to feel better when you are experiencing less stress, your medications may be more effective helping you to find relief sooner.

Stress management techniques may include;

  1. Mindfulness and Meditation
    Practicing mindfulness regularly can help to decrease your cortisol levels and lead you to feeling less stressed. These approaches can also help with distress tolerance and emotion regulation, tenants of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). When these powerful therapeutic approaches are paired with proper medication management you may find that you reach remission of your symptoms far sooner.
  2. Exercise
    Have you ever heard the phrase “exercise is medicine”? Being physically active can reduce stress and also increase the release of endorphins. This can feel wonderful as endorphins support healthy mood and overall mental wellness.
  3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
    CBT is an evidenced based therapy approach that helps you to identify negative thought patterns and reframe them. This approach also helps you to develop effective coping strategies to decrease intrusive symptoms and help you to make better choices for yourself. This can also help you to find ways to remain more consistent with medication management.
  4. Breathing Techniques and Relaxation Training
    Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation calm the nervous system, potentially allowing medications to work more effectively by reducing physiological arousal.
  5. Improving Your Sleep
    It is really hard to feel your best when you aren’t sleeping. High cortisol can impact the way you sleep. Addressing sleep issues through use of relaxation techniques can improve stress resilience and drug efficacy.

Holistic Mental Health Treatment: A Collaborative Approach

Psychiatric treatment cannot rely on medication alone. When your treatment plan involves other approaches and interventions such as stress management, healthy lifestyle changes and therapy you can begin to see real results. Everyone is unique, your symptoms are unique and you deserve to find providers who address your needs from a collaborative approach.

Carolina Counseling Services in Cameron, NC contracts with skilled licensed psychiatric professionals and therapists. You don’t have to choose between therapy and psychiatric medications with CCS. You can find providers to meet all your needs. Providers are in network with most major insurances including Aetna, Aetna State Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and many more. Call now to schedule your first appointment!