All posts tagged: reasons

5 Reasons to Consider Psychiatric Medication

Top 5 Reasons to Consider Psychiatric Medication

Introduction A surprising dichotomy of viewpoints seems to arise around the topic of psychiatry and management; the first is that psychiatrists are real doctors and psychotherapists are quacks.  The second is that medication is for suckers, weaklings, and the desperate. The polarization I’ve observed about these topics is surprising considering all evidence seems to indicate that both work pretty well together.  While it’s not my place to tell people they must be on medication (As in, legally I’m not allowed to), I can certainly tell you about my experience with medication as a supplement to psychotherapy, and why it may make sense to consult with a psychiatrist about your needs. 1. Step Outside the System Our personalities and individual psychologies are complex dynamic systems.  Our character structures consist of many forces, mounting pressures, levers, sources of friction, algorithms, contingencies, etc. that come together to create an overall feeling of goodness or badness of some kind.  The important point about our personalities being systems is that they seem to favor repeated, stable, and predictable outcomes, regardless …

Trigger Warning: Four Reasons to Remove the Word “Triggered” from Your Lexicon

The word “triggered,” which I used to hear only in mental health circles, has now fully permeated everyday language.  What was once a term created to refer to the behavioral response (e.g., dissociation, panic, flashbacks) to cues resembling a specific, circumscribed, traumatic event, has evolved into having at least three additional common uses. First, the evocation of a painful emotion: “I was really triggered when she interrupted me and started talking about herself.” Second, a derivative of the first with a more narrow application, the elicitation of offense or political outrage: “The way the terms “poor people” and “racial minorities” were used interchangeably was highly triggering.” Third, its reappropriation for satirical use: “Stay triggered snowflakes” is Tomi Lahren’s, the provocative conservative political pundit, catchphrase. I confess to feeling annoyed with all of these uses, including the original use of the word.  When the opportunity presents, I steer clients away from using this term, for reasons (beyond my own annoyance) I will explain.  In no particular order, I list my reasons for cringing at the word …