By Amy Baillie, Synergetic Play Therapist / Children’s Counsellor / Parent Coach.
If your child is experiencing big emotions, you might begin to explore what might help. You are likely to come across many different options including therapy and medication.
You might even ask the question; do you need to choose just one? Or do both have benefits? How do you choose what would have the biggest impact on your child’s wellbeing?
Below we will explore this question and offer a few examples of how and when therapy and medication can work together.
Medication and Mental Health
Conditions such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and many more, are often looked at scientifically as changes in brain structure and/or imbalances in the chemical composition in the brain. (National Institute of Health, 2007)
Medication works to interact with the brain chemicals, often increasing or decreasing the amount of specific chemicals present in the brain to bring the chemicals back into balance. By changing the brain chemicals, medication can aim to stabilise moods. (Howard, 2022).
Medications can be fast acting, and a person can find relief from symptoms quickly. Medication may be prescribed for either long term or short-term use. Some people choose to taking medication long term as they feel they have found a balance in their brain chemicals that works for them. This means they feel comfortable and content in their moods and behaviours.
Long term medication is not for everyone. Some people may simply not like taking the medication. Some can have side-affects that don’t make the client feel well. Other times, some medications may have positive short-term effects but then decrease in their effectiveness leading to medications having to be changed, or doses having to be increased to achieve the same effects. It is important that families work with their medical professionals, often a Paediatrician, to find the right medication plan to meet their needs.
Therapy and Mental Health
Psychotherapies or counselling help support the child through their struggles by assisting them to integrate their experiences of challenges, and then strengthen coping and resiliency skills into the future. It supports the development of new and more positive pathways within the brain. These new pathways may support the brain chemical balance back to its normal rhythm.
Psychotherapy takes time and it may take weeks or even months to meet therapy goals. Theoretically, once the goals are met new behaviours are established and the brain has been changed.
If we explore this by considering anxiety, perceptions of danger lead to changes in cortisol (sometimes called the stress hormone) levels that switch on the fight-and-flight survival activation experienced in anxiety. Where medication stops the chain at the chemical level which balances production of cortisol, therapy aims to stop the chain at the first instance, the client’s perception.
This is done by supporting the client in changing their view on events so they do not experience the feelings of being unsafe or in danger and/ or the final step providing coping strategies that send the message of safety back to the brain signalling to the brain that actually things are okay and allowing chemicals to settle again.
Why Sometimes a Dual Approach is Needed
Therapy is a multi-levelled process that often has to begin with increasing regulation. This helps put the brain in the right state to be able to absorb the effects of therapy. For an extremely dysregulated child, this stage of therapy may take a significant amount of time before further therapeutic goals can truly be worked on. While the therapy work is being started, behaviours may continue and this can be challenging for the child and family.
Medication can sometimes assist by putting the brain into a more regulated state, allowing therapy to progress to other stages more quickly. Therapy can then work to address symptoms that medication may not, and build coping strategies that can assist in preventing re-lapse (Peterson, 2006). As the therapy begins to demonstrate signs of growth in the child, it may then be possible to work with your paediatrician again to reduce and potentially eliminate medication.
For adults and children experiencing mental health challenges, there are many options for seeking support. Medication may be an option for some families as is therapy. In many cases a dual approach of short term medication combined with therapeutic intervention can be a beneficial approach to long term success. Whenever medication is part of treatment plan, it is important to always consult your doctor.
The information provided in this blog should be used for education and informational purposes only. It should not replace the therapy or the therapeutic relationship. If you require parenting or mental health support for your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at CoRe Kids Therapy.
Howard, J. (2022). Common types of anxiety medications and how they work. ABC News. Retrieved from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-15/anxiety-medications-antidepressants-how-they-work/100890370
National Institutes of Health (US); Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. NIH Curriculum Supplement Series [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health (US); 2007. Information about Mental Illness and the Brain. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20369/
Petersen TJ. Enhancing the efficacy of antidepressants with psychotherapy. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2006;20(3_suppl):19-28. doi:10.1177/1359786806064314
