Dozens of Psych Meds… Where Do I Start?!

Did you know that there are literally dozens of medications JUST for anxiety and depression? No, seriously. Just talking about categories of mood-stabilizing medications, doctors have to consider:

  • SSRIs
  • SNRIs
  • Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
  • Benzodiazapines
  • Beta-Blockers
  • MAOIs

Aside from asking you if you’ve had any success in the past with one of these categories, or asking if you have a family member who takes a mood stabilizer that works well… there’s literally no way to know which category (or classification) of medication is going to work best for you. Until now!

Before DNA testing for psychiatric medications was developed, figuring out which medication (or combination of meds) would best help in controlling someone’s anxiety or depression was a lot like playing darts. First, a doctor would put you on an introductory dose of a medication just to see if your body would tolerate it without too many side effects. Let alone if it would manage your mental health symptoms.

Yucky List of Side Effects:

constipation nausea
dizziness sexual disfunction
drowsiness erectile dysfunction
dry mouth sleep problems
headaches excessive sweating
high blood pressure upset stomach
low blood pressure anxiety
weight gain restlessness
loss of appetite depression
seizures sweating
cold hands and feet shortness of breath

If you DON’T have awful side effects, the dose is increased slowly. It typically takes 6-9 weeks to build up to a dose that could be effective. Let’s say that it isn’t effective. Guess what – you have to go back to the dartboard!

We are so excited to share that this dart-board method is now obsolete!

Current technology allows us to take a small DNA sample (of saliva! No needles!) and have it analyzed to determine which types of psychiatric medications will work best for your body. It can help your doctor make a more educated decision about which medications to try, and which ones to steer clear of.

About Lifeologie

Lifeologie Counseling was founded in 2000 with one goal in mind — to bring a fresh, innovative approach to the everyday problems of life. Creative solutions to stuck problems®. With our unique multi-specialty, collaborative approach, Lifeologie Counseling helps individuals and families heal their wounds and break out of old, unhealthy patterns.