One of the most common problems I encounter when consulting with people about their psychiatric medications is the utter lack of clear rationale for what they’ve been prescribed. The more medications I see on a client’s profile, the more inclined I am to believe that the prescriber has taken a reactive approach to pharmacologically treating this individual.

too_many_medicationsThe problem lies in thinking and believing that identifying a patient’s symptoms means having to go about treating each one of them. This micromanages medication management to the point where all the prescriber is doing is chasing symptoms with lots of drugs – and in my experience with those whom I consult – I do mean LOTS of drugs.

Mentally healthy people have day-to-day mood variabilities. And you know what, so do those with mental disorders. So why make constant medication modifications, tweaks and additions to cover every base when symptom changes may be short-lived and merely a temporary blip?

Many, many patients with bloated psychiatric drug profiles tell me they have no idea why they’re on some of these medications and notice no positive difference when another drug is added.

Such a blind alley approach to prescribing tells me that if treatment is failing the patient, the symptoms may not be the problem – instead, the diagnosis may be wrong.