Can State of Mind Impact Medication Effectiveness?

The way you think about things can impact so many areas of your life. It isn’t so surprising that the way you think can also impact the way you feel. There’s even been evidence that if you think you are going to start feeling better you can actually start feeling better. Have you ever called your doctor’s office and made an appointment and by the time you hung up you actually physically started to feel better? If this experience sounds familiar you aren’t alone. This can also happen when it comes to our Mental Health.

What is the Nocebo Effect?

Many of us are familiar with the placebo effect, when you think something will work and magically it does despite any clinical reason a “pill” would be effective. But what is the nocebo effect?

This phenomenon is when you don’t believe something, like a medication can help, and conversely you start to feel worse and even experience “side effects” that aren’t related to the medication you are taking. The National Library of Medicine has even found that the more potential side effects are discussed the more likely they are to occur.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Side effects are real and no one is suggesting that you ignore them as a possibility. What can help you to find benefits from psychiatric medication management is to go into this experience with an open mind.

In the world of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) we refer to this skill as non-judgmental stance. What this looks like is challenging yourself not to think about all the ways your meds won’t work while also not expecting them to fix everything all at once. You are simply going into medication management with an open mind and being open to how you may feel, positive or negative.

We have to be careful of what we are trying to prove. If you believe medication cannot help you will search for evidence to prove your point. Allow yourself to be open to the process and see how psychotropic medications that are right for you can help. Be curious about facts and set yourself up for success.

Finding the Right Psychiatric Care in Fayetteville, NC

Finding the right psychiatric provider is important. Carolina Counseling Services has been in business for over 30 years and contracts with caring licensed psychiatric providers. CCS also contracts with licensed therapists. Therapy can help you to learn skills like non-judgmental stance and other highly effective ones.

If you are looking for psychiatric services and therapy, look no further than CCS in Fayetteville, NC. Providers are in network with most major insurances including Aetna, Aetna State Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and many more. Call now to schedule your first appointment.

Jaime Johnson Fitzpatrick LCMHCS, LCAS is one of the Owners and Vice Presidents of Carolina Counseling Services. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in the State of North Carolina as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in State of New York. Jaime is also certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and utilizes various other approaches in her practice.