Anxiety – The Role of Medication (4 Minute Read)
Daniel Crosby • November 9, 2023

THE GOOD:


Let me begin by saying that medication DOES have a role in mental health. It HAS helped people and it HAS saved lives when people were struggling to function, when they couldn’t think straight, and when they were in the depths of despair.


I’ve met with people who simply couldn’t string 2 sentences together and they needed to begin a medication regimen to help bring them to a level where we could begin working on some of the struggles, helping them make changes to improve permanently.


I believe that SOME people need medication to help them function at a reasonably normal level in life, but I also believe that this group is the minority. If you’re in that group, then there is no shame in using medication for help. Please do what your doctor has instructed you to do and NEVER make changes to your medication regimen without talking to your doctor. Unfortunately, I believe MOST people who are on psychotropic medications just so they can function throughout the day do not need them.


Medication is not the ONLY solution.


THE BAD:


The pharmaceutical industry and the medical field have done an amazing job over our lifetime of selling us on the idea that anxiety is simply a disease like diabetes or hypertension. For anxiety, “you likely just have a chemical imbalance.”


Granted, there is a medical component to anxiety. When we consistently subject ourselves to life stressors, our bodies are in a constant state of arousal. Our brains and bodies react by releasing Cortisol, Catecholamines (like adrenaline), and Vasopressin to try to keep us regulated and functioning.


The pharmaceutical and medical industries tell us that we just need to take medication so that we can “regulate our chemical imbalance.” Unfortunately, it isn’t an exact science because we can’t do a blood test to test your anxiety level.


“Hmm, so you still feel anxious? If the medication you’re taking isn’t working, then we probably need to raise the dose or add another medication to your regimen. Just take this and come back to see me in a month. We’ve seen very good results with this new medication.”


To be fair, it’s not all the doctor’s fault. They work in a society where we want a microwave fix to everything. We would rather take a shot for weight loss than to exercise and eat healthy and we would rather take 2-3 pills each morning to numb out our anxiety and depression than to do the hard work of changing our habits and our lack of boundaries in activities and relationships.


I have a nurse practitioner friend who has said that there’s pressure on the medical community to give patients at least some type of prescription each time they come in or else they’ll give that provider a bad review online. To tell a patient that they need counseling, or to find a new job where their boss isn’t a jerk, or to stop drinking a 6-pack every night before bed is almost seen as malpractice to some patients. We no longer go to doctors for their holistic healing and wisdom on our overall health but usually for prescriptions. Doctors feel the pressure for the quick fix as well because we’re the ones pressuring them.


So here’s a critical thinking question: If the doctors and pharmaceutical industry are right in saying that taking a few pills each day will make us less anxious then why do the number of prescriptions continue to rise at a similar rate that the reports from patients reporting anxiety symptoms continue to rise? If the medication is that effective, then wouldn’t we be reporting less anxiety?


Could it be that we’re missing something in this equation?


THE UGLY:


When we are constantly in debt, overscheduled, dealing with an abusive spouse, addicted to substances, and mindlessly doom scrolling on TikTok until 2am, our brains and bodies are screaming at us to take action and change something.


If your house was literally on fire and the smoke alarm is going off, would you take the batteries out of the smoke alarm and go back to bed? Of course not!


Unfortunately, this is what many of our friends and family use medication for. Rather than putting out the fire (dealing with the trauma, the abuse, the boundaries, the exhaustion, and the emptiness) we simply silence the smoke alarm. Medication can be effective at lessening unpleasant feelings temporarily but oftentimes those feelings continue to smolder under the surface until it becomes unbearable again and the fire re-erupts.


THE HOPE:


It’s time to make a change.


You are the only one who can do it.


You don’t have to do it alone!


Keeping reading along with these articles to find new ways of lowering your anxiety without having to be on medication for the rest of your life.


HOMEWORK:

Have you had a talk with your Dr. recently about their ideas about helping with your anxiety? What is their mindset and theory behind long-term use of anxiety medications? Did you feel heard and understood with your questions? If you've been prescribed medication for over 12 months with no conversation, it's time to ask your Dr. if they believe this medication is the lifelong solution. Are you ok with their explanation and feedback?


***Here are some good stats on the current state of anxiety in our world.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7786299/


https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics


https://www.anxietycentre.com/statistics/anxiety-disorder-statistics-facts/



Every day I help hurting frazzled people by walking with them as they get back on the path toward becoming who God created them to be. Shoot me an email if there’s anything I can do to help you or someone you know.

Rebuilding Trust - Level 5 - Deep Trust

By Daniel Crosby • March 24, 2026
Level 5: Deep Trust Deep trust isn’t blind. It’s not naïve. And it’s not “forgive and forget.” It is earned. At this level, the betrayed partner can say, “I trust your character and integrity not because of constant proof, but because of who you’ve shown yourself to be over time.” This trust isn’t rooted in wishes or fantasy. It is rooted in history, consistency, repair, and lived experience. For the betrayed partner, trust isn’t just something you give. It’s something you choose with wisdom, boundaries, and self-respect. This level doesn’t mean you stop paying attention. It means you stop living in fear. You still speak up when something feels off, still honor your voice, but you no longer carry constant suspicion in your body. It’s not perfection. It is maturity. And it’s not automatic. It is maintained and practiced. For the partner who caused the harm: Live daily with integrity. Faithfulness is who you are, not just what you do when watched. Keep nurturing trust even when things feel good. Don’t coast. For the betrayed partner: Choose trust with wisdom staying open while honoring your boundaries, voice, and self-respect. Speak up early when something feels off instead of stuffing resentment.

Rebuilding Trust - Level 4 - Inner Trust

By Daniel Crosby • March 17, 2026
Level 4: Inner Trust At this level, something important shifts. The betrayed partner begins to feel steadier not just because of their partner’s behavior, but because of their own inner self confidence. You might still say, “I want honesty. I want consistency.” But now you can also say, “I can calm myself. I can reality-check my fears. I don’t spiral the way I used to.” This doesn’t mean triggers disappear. it means they don’t control you anymore. Trust is no longer something you are desperately reaching for. It is something you are slowly standing on. For the partner who caused the harm, this stage calls for continued accountability not because you’re being monitored, but because reliability has become who you are. You don’t wait to be asked. You lead with consistently and freely. For the betrayed partner, this stage invites restraint rather than repression; but use wisdom. Instead of reopening old investigations every time fear arises, you begin asking: “Is this a current threat or an old wound reacting?” Inner trust grows when you learn to distinguish the two. This level represents a powerful turning point: trust becomes something you participate in — not something you beg for or police. For the partner who caused the harm: Keep being accountable without waiting to be asked. Prove reliability over time. Let consistency become your default gift to your partner not your response to a crisis. For the betrayed partner: Practice calming yourself when fears arise and reality-check triggers against the consistency you’ve seen over time. Resist reopening old investigations unless new information or patterns arise.

Rebuilding Trust - Level 3 - Words + Actions Trust

By Daniel Crosby • March 10, 2026
Level 3: Words + Actions Trust At this stage, trust begins to deepen beyond proof. The betrayed partner is no longer just asking, “Are you doing the right thing?” but also, “Do you understand what this did to me?” Words matter but only when they match consistent actions. Apologies without empathy feel hollow. Empathy without follow-through feels unsafe. Healing requires both. This is the level where emotional repair becomes central for the partner who caused the harm. – Can you listen without defending? – Can you take ownership without shifting blame? – Can you respond to pain without shutting down or counterattacking? For the betrayed partner, this stage is a shift from testing to expressing. Instead of checking to see if your partner behaved or met your standard, begin directly saying what hurts, what you need, and what helps. This is vulnerable work. It requires risking disappointment — but also opens the door to real repair. Triggers will still come. Memories will still surface. But instead of storing them as evidence to protect yourself later, this stage invites you to bring the hurt into the light where we can work on it together rather then letting it fester and turn into resentment. Trust at this level grows when: – Hurt is spoken instead of hidden. – Repair is attempted instead of avoided. – Consistency replaces defensiveness. This is where trust begins to feel less mechanical and more relational. For the partner who caused the harm: Speak with empathy, take ownership, and show consistent follow-through. Don’t just explain, try to understand and help your partner heal through action. For the betrayed partner: Express hurt and needs directly rather than testing your partner. Begin allowing repair efforts to matter. State your triggers instead of storing them up as evidence for protection later.