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<\/p>\n(WXYZ) \u2014 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is launching a new plan focused on psychiatric medications and what officials call overprescribing.<\/p>\n
HHS launches plan to curb overprescribing psychiatric medications<\/p>\n
The effort\u00a0is encouraging\u00a0more personalized mental health care and greater use of non-medication treatments when appropriate.<\/p>\n
First of all, it\u2019s important to say that psychiatric medications can absolutely be life-changing and even lifesaving for many people. Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD and others can really impact daily life. \u00a0A\u00a0treatment plan – regardless of what form it takes – is often needed for symptom management.\u00a0
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Now, the approach put forth by the\u00a0U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u00a0is focused\u00a0on reducing what officials describe as the overuse, or overprescribing, of psychiatric medications, particularly in children. This refers to situations where medications may be prescribed when they\u2019re not truly needed, continued longer than necessary or used when they\u2019re no longer\u00a0providing\u00a0a clear benefit. \u00a0
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The plan encourages careful tapering or deprescribing when it\u2019s medically appropriate.\u00a0That does not mean\u00a0that\u00a0treatment has to end.\u00a0 It\u2019s a discussion between the doctor and the patient to determine whether the medication is still necessary\u00a0and still\u00a0provides benefits.\u00a0
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The initiative\u00a0also highlights\u00a0informed consent, shared decision-making and a shift toward prevention and a broader, more holistic approach to mental health care.\u00a0
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The non-medication approaches mentioned include\u00a0things like\u00a0psychotherapy or talk therapy, family and social support, behavioral approaches, regular physical activity, better sleep habits, stress management and nutrition-focused strategies.
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Research suggests that regular exercise may help reduce symptoms of depression, and healthier eating habits may also improve mood and mental health for some people.\u00a0But\u00a0these approaches are not one-size-fits-all, and they are not meant to replace medication in every case.\u00a0Treatment should be tailored to the person,\u00a0their symptoms,\u00a0medical history\u00a0and their\u00a0goals.
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Now, if you are taking medication, do not stop it on your own. Suddenly stopping certain medications can cause serious withdrawal symptoms or a return of symptoms. Instead, talk with your doctor or mental health professional\u00a0about\u00a0the risks and benefits together. If changes are needed, they should happen gradually and under medical supervision.
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Everyone\u2019s mental health is so important, and when it comes to a treatment plan, the benefits and risks should be carefully weighed before moving forward.
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This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr. Partha Nandi<\/p>\n
Learn the ABCs of organic gardening with Dr. Partha Nandi, MD. Expert guests demonstrate easy step-by-step instructions for planting your own garden and share why organic food is better than conventionally grown crops. Nandi speaks with a pediatrician who reveals how pesticides can affect children\u2019s health and the improvements seen after switching to an organic diet. Also, how chemicals can affect our gut health and hormones, plus two quick and delicious veggie recipes. Tune in this\u00a0Sunday, May\u00a010 at 12:30\u00a0p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(WXYZ) \u2014 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is launching a new plan focused on psychiatric…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":782991,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[7576,1449,210,1060,7581,67,132,68,7579],"class_list":{"0":"post-782990","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-7-action-news","9":"tag-detroit","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-medication","12":"tag-metro-detroit","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us","16":"tag-wxyz"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116541551351597874","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=782990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/782991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=782990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=782990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=782990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}