The Medication Question

Helping patients and their families understand the factors and considerations when deciding whether or not to take psychotropic drugs. This important volume provides a thorough overview of a range of mental disorders, describing how they are affected by various medications and other interventions, to foster a strong alliance between family, patient, and clinician. Diamond asks us to step well back from the brink of the "doctor knows best" mentality, addressing a more basic and radical question: Do I (or does my family member) really need medication, and if so, why, what, when, how and for how long? What is the problem for which I might be considering taking medication? Diamond faces the facts that some individuals do not benefit from medication, that taking medication regularly should never be the goal of treatment (as it often seems to be), and that medication in some conditions may have meaning and utility for the person even when there is no proven clinical indication for it. This book is an invaluable guide to medications—including complementary and herbal products—that you might consider for various psychiatric and psychological conditions. Clinicians, clients, and family members alike will learn to collaborate, negotiate, create individualized treatment plans, and share in the decision-making process about whether to medicate or not.