Patient FAQs
Do I Need Medication, Therapy, or Both?
Medication
- Medication works relatively quickly
- Effectively manages psychiatric symptoms
- Is less costly than therapy
- Helps patients who are not willing or able to do therapy
- Is more useful in severe cases
- May have intolerable side effects
Therapy
- Therapy treats underlying psychological problems
- Provides a new opportunity to feel understood and accepted
- Requires patience
- Requires the establishment of a trusting therapeutic alliance
Both
Combination of medication and therapy often produces better outcomes than either treatment alone
Medication may make it easier to do therapy
Therapy differentiates psychological reactions from medication side effects
