- One can read a 600-page text on the biochemistry of psychiatric medications; become enmeshed in the marvels of neuroscience; design highly complex drug regimens for patients; and still not know a thing until the patient swallows the first pill.
- When it comes to medication, there’s no right or wrong approach — only possibilities.
- Progress in understanding mental disorders will be painstaking — they’ll be no all-encompassing explanations, nothing “Einsteinish.” To use a golf metaphor, there will be no holes-in-one, some pars, maybe an occasional birdie, and lots of water balls
- The “chemical imbalance” theory associated with depression has been debunked. Clinical depression is too multifactorial to be explained by a single theory – and a weak one at that.
- Those who have authored books describing intervention strategies with clients first tried and tested them before they became evidence-based. Devise your own interventions where applicable, while keeping top of mind the golden rule: Do no harm.
- Don’t think of the client as damaged. People come to treatment for all sorts of reasons. Some are simply stuck and need a nudge; others may be looking for validation and a sounding board; still others are acutely ill. Deliver value to them accordingly and be vigilant about providing that value to as many people as can possibly benefit from it.
- Don’t be passive when discussing strategies that you believe can help clients, but never cross the line into coercion.
- Regardless of how you attempt to help people, compliance with what you’re offering is paramount. If the client becomes resistant, find out why as best you can and get them back on track.
- There’s a positive intention for every behavior. Help the client identify the intention; then work toward changing the troublesome behavior.
- Provide outstanding client service by bringing honest, believable energy and enthusiasm to your work.
- Advise your clients to never cede their personal power to a pill to improve their situation unless absolutely necessary.
- Use the placebo effect to influence client change to your full advantage.
- If or when clients complain of psychotropic medication side effects, candidly inquire as to what they’re willing to tolerate, because all medications have at least some adverse consequences.
- The brain is more complex than the body and it will take decades to ascertain what its capabilities are. In the absence of reliable brain scans and quantifiable blood work, clinicians are stuck with client self-report and collateral sources of information to confirm findings.
- Medication decision trees are not gospel when it comes to treating clients pharmacologically. When challenged with medication-resistant clients, the art of drug management becomes more important than its science. In such instances, creativity rules.
- If you dwell on all the clients you don’t help, don’t try to help themselves or just drop out of treatment, over the course of a career, you’ll do a lot of dwelling.
Attribution Statement:
Joe Wegmann is a licensed pharmacist & clinical social worker has presented psychopharmacology seminars to over 10,000 healthcare professionals in 46 states, and maintains an active psychotherapy practice specializing in the treatment of depression and anxiety. He is the author of Psychopharmacology: Straight Talk on Mental Health Medications, published by PESI, Inc.
To learn more about Joe’s programs, visit the Programs section of this website or contribute a question for Joe to answer in a future article: joe@thepharmatherapist.com.