We live in a society where the first and foremost solution to any problem is the numbing of its symptoms. Rather than attacking the roots of our social issues, individuals choose to find temporary fixes. These specious solutions often manifest themselves in the form of substances, which give the body a sustained but interim reaction and fool them into thinking the obstacle at hand has been dealt with. In the case of anxiety and depressive disorders, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Anxiety disorders, such as panic disorders, extreme phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders, are currently the most common mental illness for those aged 18 and older in the United States. Half of those struggling with an anxiety disorder also suffer from depression. Of these nearly 40 million individuals, only one-third are said to receive treatment, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, even though anxiety and depressive disorders are two of the easiest illnesses to treat. Because there is such a stigma surrounding these disorders, people are undoubtedly wary of seeking help. What is most worrisome, however, is that those who do look for assistance are, on average, only afforded a 15-minute medical consultation and a pill prescription. The age of “talk therapy,” where patients were encouraged to speak about their issues and attempt to resolve them through problem-solving, is long over. Instead, psychiatrists are instructed to prescribe anti-anxiety and antidepressant medicines, which will only briefly hide symptoms of the illness.
I believe mandatory counseling should be set in place either before prescription meds are doled out for anxiety and depressive disorders or, at the very least, in addition to a prescription. While drug therapy relieves symptoms faster, talk therapy is actually more effective long-term and can address the problem an individual is facing at its origin point. It is crucial to remember that an anxiety or depressive disorder truly will affect multiple facets of one’s life, and these illnesses are known to cause other serious issues, such as eating disorders and Attention Deficit Disorder.
From a neurological perspective, drugs can work just as effectively on the brain in a short time span, but cognitive therapy taps into a different part of the brain which could elongate periods without a relapse. A study from the Archives of General Psychiatry found that talk therapy actually changed metabolic activity within the brain’s cortex. Participants in the study were more capable of noticing negative or emotionally harmful stimuli in their environment and were better at preventing it from entering their working memory. For example, while a drug would work to influence neurotransmitters and alter the brain’s instinctive or normal behaviors, talk therapy gives patients greater control over what enters their consciousness and provides them with the tools to intentionally monitor their moods.
This is not to say drugs are an ineffective way of dealing with anxiety and depressive disorders. Many patients feel medication helps them with their illness, but many (50 percent) need to switch around drugs multiple times in order to find one with manageable side effects for their particular lifestyle. Additionally, many patients experience mood swings, loss of sex drive and weight gain when trying out a new medication, which can further strengthen feelings of depression or anxiety. It is time psychiatrists started to renew the sense of relationship between patient and doctor in terms of counseling. Medicine and cognitive therapy as a combined front could work effectively, as the medicine could make certain parts of the brain more susceptible to talk therapy. But what is most important is not removal of the sensation of pain that drugs are able to provide, but the tough and emotional experience of confronting one’s problems in a space where they are in control and accountable for themselves. Pills may be easier to swallow, but the harsh reality of their limit in treating patients long-term is undoubtedly harder.