Widespread Prescriptions Used Inappropriately to Treat Mental Health Issues

One in eight adults in the U.S. use prescription medications to treat mental issues.

Psychiatric medications include antidepressants, antipsychotics, lithium salts, sleeping pills, anxiety-lowering pills, and stimulants. While these psychiatric medications have an important role in the management of mental illnesses, they can also cause significant short-term and long-term side effects. A recent study in JAMA Psychiatry found that these medications are associated with 4 emergency visits per day in hospitals. Given the wide range of treatments available for mental issues today, the benefits must be weighed with the risks of taking psychiatric medications long-term.

People who are able to connect within themselves and be mindful of their emotions and actions throughout the day tend to have greater brain volume in key brain areas. They are able to think more clearly and elicit less of a negative emotional response such as anxiety, depression, fear, and anger. They are also able to frequently engage in cognitively-stimulating activities which may protect against declining brain function and dementia.

If you or someone you know is taking some of the medications listed above and/or dealing with mental issues please contact me to discuss your treatment options. As a family physician, I focus on caring for the whole person, not just treating their symptoms. By determining the root causes I work with patients to adjust the stressors and help regain back health.

AUTHOR

Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. is one of U.S.'s top leading integrative functional medical physicians and the founder of SF Advanced Health. She combines the best in Eastern and Western Medicine to understand the root causes of diseases and provide patients with personalized treatment plans that quickly deliver effective results. Dr. Bhandari specializes in cell function to understand how the whole body works. Dr. Bhandari received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from West Virginia University. She the completed her Family Medicine residency in 2004 from the University of Massachusetts and joined a family medicine practice in 2005 which was eventually nationally recognized as San Francisco’s 1st patient-centered medical home. To learn more, go to www.sfadvancedhealth.com.