New Year, New Approaches to Your Mental Health Care

Combining counseling and psychiatric medication management often leads to better outcomes than if you only had one or the other. Both have their benefits and their shortcomings, however, when combined you have a powerful treatment plan to improve your mental health and quality of life. Therapy helps to develop coping skills and insight, while medication supports biological balance.

Is Still Stigma Surrounding Psychiatric Medications? 

Despite growing awareness, stigma still discourages many people from seeking the mental health care they need and deserve. When challenging stigma, remember: 

  • Taking medication does not mean you’re “weak.”
  • Mental health conditions are legitimate medical issues.
  • Millions of people safely and successfully use psychiatric medications.

Seeking the treatment you need is an act of strength and self-care, it is not something to be embarrassed about. 

Asking The Right Questions 

Playing a role in your mental healthcare is important. To make an informed choice, consider asking the following questions: 

  • What condition are you treating?
  • What are the expected benefits?
  • What side effects should I watch for?
  • How long will it take to feel better?
  • Are there lifestyle changes that can enhance results?
  • What happens if I want to stop the medication later?

The more you know about your medications the better able you are to maximize their benefits. Medications won’t fix everything, however, they can address the biological issues that are contributing to your symptoms. 

The Many Benefits of Therapy

With psychiatric medications on board to help with the biological aspects of your condition many find that therapy can be more productive. It can be difficult to learn new skills, implement them and process difficult issues if you are dealing with severe, intrusive symptoms. Psychiatric medication management can help with this so you can see greater gains in therapy. 

Counseling can help you to: 

  • Learn and utilize conflict resolution skills
  • Decrease anxiety and stress
  • Adjust and cope with major life changes
  • Improve emotion regulation
  • Build distress tolerance
  • Improve communication
  • Foster healthier relationships
  • Decrease symptoms of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, OCD and so much more!

Therapy can help with so many things, you truly get what you put into it. Combining therapy and medication management can lead to growth and a better quality of life. 

Create a Combined Approach for You This New Year

With Carolina Counseling Services you don’t have to choose between therapy and medication management. You can receive both approaches at the same time or choose one over the other. CCS doesn’t believe in a one size fits all approach to mental health care. 

Carolina Counseling Services in Cameron, North Carolina contracts with skilled licensed therapists and psychiatric professionals. Get the care you need and deserve as we head into the New Year. Online sessions are available as well making it easier than ever before to get quality psychiatric care anywhere in North Carolina. Reach out now to get started!

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), Tricare, Medicaid and many more!

Jaime Johnson Fitzpatrick LCMHCS, LCAS is one of the Owners and Vice Presidents of Carolina Counseling Services. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in the State of North Carolina as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in State of New York. Jaime is also certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and utilizes various other approaches in her practice.