Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety
Article by  Lisa Roberts
and they did help. Yet they both acknowledged that Roberts needed more. Together, they agreed to try a medication treatment plan.
"But I was concerned," Roberts noted, "as I did not want to experience side effects; I needed relief."
Roberts is not alone in her trepidation. For many Americans, concerns about potential side effects remain a significant barrier. In fact, despite nearly 9 out of 10 Americans (89%) diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety believing that mental health medications are somewhat or very effective, more than half of those who have never been on mental health medication (52%) say they would not take medication because of possible side effects. That's according to the latest GeneSight® Mental Health Monitor*, a nationwide survey from Myriad Genetics, Inc., a leader in molecular diagnostics
(BPT) - Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and been an anchor for her mother and other family members. Suddenly, within a very short period, her brother and son were diagnosed with chronic illness, and her mother passed away after a too-brief illness, leaving her feeling unmoored. She found herself wondering why she was not grieving, and why she was not feeling much at all. She no longer enjoyed her job or even got out of bed in the morning.
"My problems were not going away, and I found myself wishing I could just not be here," said Roberts.
She made an appointment to see Whitnee Brown, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Practice in nearby Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Brown worked with Roberts on exercises to help her accept her grief,
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