Why Take Medication?
What does medication for behavioral health conditions do?
Medication helps to balance what are called neurotransmitters in the brain. The brain cells use these neurotransmitters to communicate. Too much or too little of specific neurotransmitters makes it difficult for cells to communicate properly and can lead to depression, mania, anxiety, or hearing voices. Medications are designed to target specific neurotransmitters and to increase or decrease their levels in certain areas of the brain.
I sometimes forget to take my medication….is that a big deal?
Many of us do not take medication exactly as prescribed by a doctor. Sometimes we forget or get distracted. If we miss several doses of medication a week, this can effect how well the medication may work. We may see symptoms returning. When medication is not working well, prescribers may increase the dose or change medications. This is really unnecessary if the problem is that we are not following through with the directions. It is important for prescribers to know if you are missing doses. If the medication looks like it is not working well, the prescriber might eliminate a medicine that would have been helpful if it were correctly taken.
How do I remember to take medication?
There are many easy tricks that you can use to keep your medication doses on schedule. A few of our favorites at Amber Lantern are:
Set an alarm on your phone
Place medication in weekly pill containers so you know if you have missed a dose
Tie taking medication to something you do everyday (e.g. drink your coffee).
In addition to these simple measures the team at Amber Lantern also uses Cognitive Adaptation Therapy or CAT to help residents in our San Antonio based behavioral health treatment communities remember to take their medications and perform other important daily tasks.
Want to learn more?
Contact the Amber Lantern team to learn more about how we can help you, a patient, or a loved one overcome the challenges of behavioral health conditions to live more independent lives.
