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Mood Disorders & Therapy

deletedover 7 years

I feel like it's stupid to google this when there's probably a few people on here who could answer this question from experience.

After getting diagnosed by a doctor for a psychiatric disorder like depression or anxiety, do you have to do talk therapy in order to continue to get medicine? How does that all work? Does it depend how bad it is?

My friend has been thinking about going to the doctors lately but s/he had a traumatic experience with a psychologist when s/he was a pre-teen. S/he doesn't mind seeing one temporarily but not as a long-term treatment plan. S/he would rather not even get help.

Thanks.

Mori
over 7 years
Medication is just a complement. It won't help without therapy. At all. In fact, some people get therapy without the medication and it works fine, but the opposite doesn't work. Because medication isn't a problem solver, it's just a mood stabilizer to allow you to work on the problem in a way you couldn't by yourself.

I think there are good therapists and bad therapists. Likewise, personal taste and the way you connect to them also influences it. If they have a mood disorder, I think it is important that they get help.

Psychiatrists are doctors. Psychologists aren't. I think they should try to give it another shot and see how they feel.