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Medically treating mental illness: Should psychologists prescribe drugs?

Medically treating medical illness is becoming more common among individuals in today's society. Mainstream popular culture has created quite the controversial uproar with Elizabeth Wurtzel's benchmark memoir Prozac Nation, which conveyed the message that the majority of America suffered from severe depression and that a greater percentage of the population was saturated with prescription drugs to treat "psychological" issues.

While there may be critics who blame individuals for using prescribed medications to treat their psychological disorders, diseases, or subsequent symptoms; the reality is that doctors are typically extremely cautious when prescribing any medication, and much more so psychologically altering medication.

Many of these chemically driven drug treatments are specifically engineered to create or maintain certain biochemical balances within an individual. Some individuals will suffer from "psychologically" driven symptoms that result from disorders such as anxiety or depression. These symptoms, however, can be easily treated if certain biochemicals are adjusted in the brain.

In any case, biological imbalances are sometimes only treated or cured with the help of prescribed drug therapies. While psychologists are not licensed to prescribe drugs to their patients, psychiatrists should certainly continue to do so in their daily practices. Without some prescription medications to treat symptoms of psychological disorders, many individuals would be unable to lead happy, healthy, balanced lives.

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Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Medically treating mental illness: Should psychologists prescribe drugs?

  • by Marea E. Johnson

    To allow psychologists to prescribe drugs to their patients would actually be a disservice in that it could eventually eliminate

    read more

  • 2 of 22

    by Bob Trowbridge

    Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs because they are medical doctors. It is highly unlikely that the American Medical Association

    read more

  • 3 of 22

    by Cheryl Scott

    The fact of the matter is that some psychologists are already prescribing medications and with some great success. Commander

    read more

  • 4 of 22

    by Tammy Stoner

    Mental illness is frequently treated with prescription medication, and this medication is effective in allowing an individual

    read more

  • 5 of 22

    by Ginger Kazay

    Most locations do not permit a psychologist to prescribe drugs; however, there is a lot of discussion going on about this

    read more

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Medically treating mental illness: Should psychologists prescribe drugs?

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