Reply to 18 year old is considering taking medication for OCD and anxiety

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, often medication and therapy combined is the most effective approach. This is what the research shows and especially with anxiety there are many low side effect, very effective drugs that can make a big difference. Your daughter is about to enter a very stressful transition and if she's telling you this is debilitating to her, I encourage you to listen (which I think you are, don't mean to imply you aren't). Medication can be very very helpful. And it usually isn't harmful to try (in this case, we're not talking some of the more serious mental health drugs). You are so right that it's important to not solely do medication (at least in the beginning), and need to be coupled with therapy. But after she learns some skills it is possible that she will be on medication without therapy if she finds something effective for her.

I understand your hesitation, but also know that it is most likely (and sounds like) that your daughters therapist is not a psychiatrist who prescribes medication (not many psychiatrists provide therapy anymore, they primarily provide medication). I mention this because your dds therapist likely does not have the ability to prescribe medication, there is really not motivation for her to recommend it willy nilly. Medication for mental health saves lives. Truly. I feel like it gets a bad name, but it saves LIVES. It might take a little bit to find the correct dose and correct medication, like anything. But this summer would be a great time to do a trial so you can be around and she can hopefully find a good spot before college. You sound like a caring mom! It's also a GREAT time to partner with her and set a foundation for her adulthood that you are on her side, and want to work WITH her to help her mental health. That you trust her to know her own body and to sift through recommendations from therapists/professionals together. If you build that type of partnership, letting her lead and trusting her this summer, you will be so grateful later when she chooses to keep you involved in her medical care/decisions throughout college because she feels safe and understood.

And as for long term, it's natural to worry about this, but try as much as you can to focus on the present and what your daughter needs right now to help her symptoms. Life is long and she will likely navigate at different times when to take or not take medication. It certainly doesn't have to be long term, but it's also ok if it is. Think of it like her brain has a lower amount of a certain hormone that makes her body and brain run well and happily. If a medication helps replace that, it's often a good thing. [/quote]

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