Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: Get the Best Out of Your Mental Health Treatment

By Dr. James Bender

Dr. James Bender spent 12 months as the brigade psychologist for the 4-1 CAV out of Ft. Hood. He served for four and a half years in the Army. During his deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad and many spots in between. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on mental health concerns related to deployment and being in the military.

Hello. This month I’d like to direct my column to service members who are either in or considering mental health treatment. When I was seeing patients, I often could tell who would get better and who would not. The patients who improved were the ones who wanted to do what ever it took to get better. They weren’t passive; they asked questions and acted on information I gave them.

Mental health concerns are treatable and getting treatment if you need it is one of the best things you can do for yourself and those around you. There are things you can do that will improve your mental health treatment; here are a few:

Be Patient with the Process but Expect Results

It may take six to eight weeks before you start to feel better or see any major results. But if you’ve been in treatment for longer than two months without any improvement, you and your provider need to figure out why. It could be that the medication isn’t working, you’re not doing your therapy assignments, or maybe you and your provider aren’t right for each other.

Be a Responsible Patient

Follow your doctor’s advice and be honest about the symptoms you’re experiencing. Don’t be afraid to say if something isn’t working or if you’re unable to comply with an aspect of treatment. A doctor-patient relationship is a partnership that requires input from both sides. Most therapists require that you do things outside the therapy session (homework). Depending on the type of therapy, this homework can be crucial to your recovery. Also, many psychotropics (medications used to treat mental illness) require that you take them consistently for them to work. Your medication won’t work properly if you’re skipping dosages.

You should know what your diagnosis is and what medication, if any, you’re taking. Most importantly, you should know your treatment plan, what you and your provider are going to do to get you better, and how you two are going to do it. Don’t forget to include goals to let you and your provider know if progress is being made.

Don’t Expect Medication to Fix Everything

Treatment often includes more than taking a pill every day. For most people, improved mental health comes from a combination of therapy, medication and lifestyle changes. Changing your habits to allow for more sleep, regular exercising and healthy eating all require effort but can dramatically improve your mental health. Studies have shown that exercise can be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. Sleep is a crucial body process and lack of it is directly related to poor mood and concentration. Further, the Real Warriors Campaign answers the question, “Why is Sleep Important?” in a recent article.

Mental health treatment is like a lot of other things; what you put into it determines what you get out of it. Studies have shown that patient involvement and effort in treatment is strongly related to getting better.

Next month I’ll talk about finding a good therapist. Stay safe (and warm for you guys in Afghanistan and Northern Iraq) and thanks for your service.

For more on this topic, read “The Proactive Patient: Taking Charge for Successful Recovery” in the January edition of DCoE in Action.