Psychiatric Medication Minimization Strategies: Part II

This is Part II of this series; you can read Part I here for the first five strategies. Part III addresses implementation, and will be posted next week.

No one wants to take psychotropic medication, so this post and the previous one are dedicated to providing minimization strategies that apply to all people—children, adults, and the elderly.

We have more control over this issue than one might imagine. All these strategies—even if each one only helps a little—add up. And over months and years, they'll continue to pay off dividends in regards to minimizing medication and optimizing mental health.

Medication Minimization Strategies: Part II

6. Be compliant with your medication—including dosing schedules. It is impossible to tell if a medication is working when the person taking them is only partially compliant with dosing and schedules. By being disciplined with med directions, you eliminate non-compliance as a potential cultprit of a treatment not working. If it's very clear that a medication is not working, may not be necessary, or is being taken in too high of a dose, it's easier for the doctor to make a decision to reduce or eliminate that particular medication. If someone misses a medication half the time, then complains it doesn't work--you can see how it would be difficult to ascertain what was really going on.

7. Minimize exposure to stressful situations and people. This may seem obvious, but it's amazing how many people will repeatedly put themselves or their loved ones in situations that exacerbate mental health functioning. A common example is spending too much time with family members who are are overly expressive of their own emotions and conflicts, creating an atmosphere of stress that infects everyone around them. These situations may not always involve negative emotions, either--sometimes just overexcitment and too many family/friends around can throw a person off.

To address this, figure out how much time you or your child can reasonably handle being with those particular family members (eg once every two weeks for a couple hours), then stick to that time frame. Do not feel guilty—you can still love them while setting firm boundaries and committing to mental wellness at the same time. You must respect yourself and your own health first.

A common example of a "stressful situation" that could be minimized is when a child gets pushed too hard in school because the parent wants him or her to live up to their intellectual potential. This can backfire if the child becomes so stressed that they cannot concentrate or regulate their moods. Kids get WAY too much homework than is healthy; they need time to play, exercise, and rest to develop properly. Remember that optimizing mental health means a balance between setting realistic goals while minimizing stress on the brain and mind. I sometimes see parents mistakenly thinking the child's medication needs to be increased when really the child's stress or workload needs to be modified.*

8. Supplements—The Big Three: Take 1) a pharmaceutical grade multivitamin, 2) fish or flax seed oil, and 3) Vitamin D. While there are many supplements that can support mental health and decrease inflammation in the brain, taking these three will go a long way. Try 2000mg/day of fish oil and 2000IU/day of vitamin D. After 3 months, check your vitamin D level and adjust accordingly (shoot for a level between 70–100 to optimize it's effects on mental health, energy, weight, cardiovascular system, and hormones.) Vitamin D literally slows down the rate at which we age.

9. Structure your (or your child's) schedule. Virtually everyone does better with a structured schedule, but it's particularly important for those dealing with mental health issues. On top of improving self esteem, mood, and level of functioning, a structured schedule helps a stressed mind predict what's happening next—freeing up resources to heal rather than trying to decide what's happening next. This also helps regulate your circadian rhythms.

10. Track, track, track. This is not so much a strategy as it is a tool for good decision-making. When parents track factors for their child (or when patients track themselves), it is much easier for the doctor to make medication decisions as opposed to simply adjusting the environment. Get a nice-looking notebook and designate it as your mental health journal.

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For medication, track dates, compliance, dosing, side effects, and benefits. For environmental factors, track computer/videogame time (total time and time patterns), sleep patterns and quality, and diet. Track one thing at a time until it becomes second nature, then add on. Tracking can provide a wealth of information for children and adults, and you uncover factors or patterns that were helpful or harmful.

Part III will provide guidance on how to implement the strategies without becoming overwhelmed.

*Modifying children's school workload will be the subject of a future post.