Your fear of clients not uncovering the root cause of some psychological issue seems valid to me, if the root cause is not biological. The facts remain, percentages of prescribed and used psychotrophic medications has increased. All one can hope is that the doctors prescribing these medications are also prescribing therapy. A combination of the two seem the most successful treatment overall.

First off, the people taking the medications ARE taking them as a remedy. Also, I think your comment, “I often worry that people who are depressed, anxious, struggle with relationships, or can’t pay attention among many other thing[s]…” implies people with mental illnesses are choosing to take the easy way out—like they have an option to fix themselves. I believe many mental illnesses are a chemical imbalance in the brain that must be fixed with medications. I doubt that a person who is so depressed they are suicidal cares about your comment, but it does hurt them in the long run by perpetuating the notion that they are choosing to be ill—like if they just buckle down and do enough therapy they will get better. I believe in a combination of medication and therapy to help those with mental illnesses. You might as well say what so many depressed people hate to hear “why don’t you just pull yourself up by your boot straps…” Furthermore, if a person is given medication they don’t really need, the fault lies with the doctor who has misdiagnosed them. If a person is given too many medications, the fault lies with the doctor who is prescribing them. And, whatever you do, don’t blame the person who is ill or imply they are taking the easy way out.

I developed hyperglycemia after taking the atypical antipsychotic risperdal in 2001. The medication issue involving the atypicals has now produced a substantial number of cases of new onset diabetes and glucose metabolism disturbances among other adverse metabolic effects conditions among a sizeable amount of the mentally ill population nationwide. One piece of important information concerning these conditions of hyperglycemia, deals with insulin resistance, its amount and prevalence, in people intially before they go on these drugs. And whether after going on the drugs they develop diabetes or not. I found some interesting research on these previous facts. And thus, I would love to see a researcher or doctor dealing with the atypical antipsychotic induced hyperglycemia conditions issue, give their opinion on this piece of information I have. The following piece of information comes from the study: “A Prospective Study of Impairment in glucose control caused by clozapine without changes in insulin resistance” Oliver D. Howes et al. At stake—Should there be further additional studies conducted on the following quote, particularly concerning all atypical antipsychotics, and what do you all think of the substance of this quote from the article:
The quote: “This study extends previous findings (1-3) by indicating that de novo glucose control abnormalities are common within months of clozapine initiation in a group screened to exclude preexisting diabetes”….later the article’s author stated……”Baseline body mass index was in the overweight range (25-30 kg/m2), consistent with previous studies of patients beginning to take clozapine. The baseline insulin resistance level was within the upper quitile of the range of insulin resistance levels seen in healthy control subjects, indicating a greater risk of developing diabetes. The similarity of insulin resistance levels to those found in previous reports (3) suggests the patients show a preexisting insulin insensitivity….” end of quote. The rapid onset, sometimes within weeks of diabetes and hyperglycemia have been recorded by other studies. And even more interestingly, upon drug withdrawal, atypical antipsychotic induced hyperglycemia recedes sometimes overnight, or in the following days or weeks, in a substantial number of cases. Yet some further data do not support glucose dysregulation being a primary result of insulin resistance. Insulin sensitivity values remain constant with all these metabolic changes. The hyperglycemia completely disappears, glucose control returns to normal in some patients. Thanks for your consideration and comments.

There is little evidence that biology causes mental illness - and just because one rejects biological explanations for mental illness does not mean one automatically blames the individual. There is much evidence that sociological factors influence mental illness far more than biological factors. I would encourage you, Dawn, to do your research.