If the Antidepressant Your Primary Care Doctor Prescribed Isn't Working, It's Time for an Assessment

Your primary care doctor may be the first person you turn to when lingering depression is beginning to affect your life. Starting an antidepressant through your primary care office is the best place to begin. But who do you turn to if you’ve been on an antidepressant for a while and you’re still struggling?

At Great Care Health Services in Nashville, Tennessee, one of our behavioral health experts can take a closer look at what you’re experiencing and help you figure out whether your current treatment is still the right fit.

When your antidepressant isn’t helping

Antidepressants can take time to work, and finding the right medication may take some trial and adjustment. In the meantime, you may notice that:

• Your mood hasn’t improved
• You still feel hopeless
• You’re struggling with exhaustion
• Your symptoms have returned after they initially improved

If any of these sound familiar, don’t stop taking your medication on your own. Instead, talk with one of our mental health professionals about what you’re experiencing. 

Your psychiatrist can look at your symptoms, current medication, dosage, and overall health to determine what may need to change. 

Sometimes, a different medication or dosage may help. In other cases, your psychiatrist may recommend adding cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), individual counseling, or another type of support.

When depression needs a closer look

Depression impacts each person differently, and other mental health concerns can make your symptoms more complicated.  You may also have anxiety, trouble sleeping, trauma, or another mental health condition that affects how you feel and how well your treatment works. 

These concerns can sometimes overlap with depression or make the symptoms harder to manage. A psychiatric assessment gives your provider a chance to look at the whole picture and consider whether something besides your current medication needs attention. 

At Great Care Health Services, medication management is part of our broader approach to mental health care. Your provider works closely with you to understand what’s going on and develop a treatment plan that fits your needs. 

If you’re still struggling with depression

If you’ve been taking an antidepressant but still don’t feel like yourself, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed at treatment, or there isn’t hope for you. It just means your current plan isn’t giving you the relief you need.

You don’t have to stick with a treatment plan that isn’t helping. Talking with a psychiatrist gives you a chance to explain what you’ve been experiencing, what has and hasn’t helped, and how your symptoms affect your daily life.

Your mental health can change over time, and your treatment may need to change with it. Getting a professional assessment can help you better understand your symptoms and decide what to discuss with your provider next.

If your antidepressant isn’t giving you the relief you’d hoped for, consider talking to a psychiatrist at Great Care Health Services. You don’t have to keep wondering when you could start feeling better today. Call or request an appointment online.