REFERRING CLIENTS
Clinicians’ questions can help determine the necessity of referring clients to a psychiatrist. Perhaps the prescription given by their doctor is adequate to help clients obtain relief from their symptoms and engage fully in therapy.
Even though the present mental healthcare system that assigns two professionals to clients with depressive disorders presents some disadvantages, the majority of depressed clients will have both a psychiatrist and a therapist to help them recover. Nevertheless, to avoid unnecessary referrals therapists need to use good judgment when referring clients to psychiatrists. By taking care in referring, therapists can save time, effort, and frustration on the part of both mental health professionals and clients.
Therapists also need to determine if clients’ doctors asked the right questions and gave adequate information. Questions regarding clients’ use of herbs or other drugs can help therapists determine if the SSRI will create the possibility for synergism, inhibit the effectiveness of the drug, or create other serious complications.
For example, use of St. John's Wort concurrent with SSRIs can cause serotonin syndrome and hypomania. Therefore, clinicians need to ask clients if they are using illicit drugs or alcohol because use of these substances may cause negative interactions. Even the use of over-the-counter drugs may cause secondary depression.
Clearly, clients need to be educated about the possible risks associated with substance use and abuse. If therapists help clients achieve a basic understanding of neurochemicals involved in brain function and the impact of SSRIs in creating inhibitory responses between neurotransmitters, they may also be able to better motivate clients to use appropriate drugs appropriately.
Finally, bibliotherapy can be a valuable resource to help clients understand the drug and depression connection. Therapists can help their clients by asking if they want further sources of information in books and websites that can be beneficial.
Rather than providing information found in textbooks, books like “Listening to Prozac” by Peter D. Kramer or websites like www.mentalhealth.com, www.depression.com, or www.pharminfo.com are understandable to the layperson, can answer many questions, and even provide other web links.
The best-selling author of Listening to Prozac examines depression from a historical and scientific perspective, challenging cultural beliefs that depression is a noble or romantic disorder linked to soulful or creative achievements, and calling for a greater awareness of depression's devastating impact, as well as renewed efforts to provide curative treatments.
Especially for clients who believe in natural methods of dealing with their health issues, or clients who are reluctant to take or continue their SSRIs, introducing them to books such as, “The Prozac Alternative” by Ran Knishinsky or “Dealing with Depression Naturally” by Syd Baumel, can help both therapists and clients understand that the road to recovery does not only depend on the use of pharmaceutical antidepressants.
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SEE POSTS: WHAT IS THE BEST RESOURCE FOR YOUR PSYCH MEDS? Parts I and III
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SEE POSTS: WHAT IS THE BEST RESOURCE FOR YOUR PSYCH MEDS? Parts I and III
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