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.

"Don't Believe Everything You Think" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • July 16, 2025
“Don’t Believe Everything You Think” by Joseph Nguyen is interesting. It’s one of those books where you need to grab hold of the concepts that are of benefit and toss the ones that aren’t. There’s some new-agey stuff in it that sounded like fluff to me but I had one big takeaway that I’ll use. Here it is: THOUGHTS are great! THINKING can become problematic. When you have a thought, that is neutral. It’s a fact. It’s what we do with that thought that then becomes helpful or harmful. When I take that factual thought and I begin over THINKING, JUDGING myself, SPIRALING into worst case scenarios, then the thought ceases to be productive. I’m confessing to you here. I’m raising my right hand. “Hi, my name is Daniel and I am an overthinker.” And then the crowd at the meeting replied I unison, “Hi Daniel.” Accept the thought but keep an eye on it because if the thought begins to get squirely and become self-critical or catastrophize then we need to snap ourselves back to reality. He gives you a little practical help with this but it’s only a 2 hour audiobook so it’s limited. Hey, that’s why you should come see me for counseling though. As an overthinker, we can work together to find ways to help your overthinking. It’s worth a read though. “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” by Joseph Nguyen.

"Born Again This Way" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • July 2, 2025
“Born Again This Way” by Rachel Gilson is a beautiful and deeply personal book about her struggle between her identity in the LGBT community and how that came into conflict when she became a person of faith. Talk about two very polarizing ideas in our world today! I would say it’s ½ memoir and ½ theology in its makeup. Gilson doesn’t hold back from getting into the nitty gritty of her own story as well as the Christian scriptures. The book is pointed but respectful. I can’t see any well-meaning person coming away from it offended. Sure, there are those who will read it and disagree with her ideas. It will sadden some and give hope to others. I’ve said before that we need to be reading things that challenge us. Read things to sharpen your beliefs. This means you should read a lot of things that are IN alignment with your beliefs so you can further clarify them. Also, read something that opposes your beliefs though. If we always live in our own echo chamber/ algorithm how will be learn how to interact with people who believe differently than we do. This is a great one for families lovingly trying to understand a child wrestling with LGBT ideas. This is a great one if you have friends in the LGBT community and wonder if or how to approach matters of faith. This is a good one for those in the LGBT community who want to read something from a Christian who bridges that divide that often exists. It’s a good one! “Born Again This Way” by Rachel Gilson.

"The Elephant in the Room" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • June 25, 2025
“The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to get Smaller in a Growing America” by Tommy Tomlinson might be my must read book of the year. It’s a beautiful memoir by Tomlinson, a coastal Georgia native, and a journalist by trade. He tells his story through the lens of his lifelong struggle with his weight. If you live in the south, then food is at the center of everything. We grieve with food, celebrate with food, and medicate with food. Heck, sometimes we’re sitting at the table gorging ourselves for lunch as we’re discussing plans for dinner. The book is hilarious in parts and heart breaking in other parts. It reminded me that everyone has a story behind who they are. We all have junk. He reminded me that some people’s stuff is internal. They look amazing on the outside but they’re crumbling inside. Other people’s stuff is external on display for the whole world to see though. What if rather than prejudging those we meet, we come alongside them and share our stuff. There’s something about knowing someone’s story that levels the playing field. If you struggle with weight, then this book is going to hit home. If you have a friend or family member who struggles with weight, then you need to read this one so you can better connect. If none of the above is true, you need to read this one because it’s an amazing story of a man who has a similar story to the rest of us. You’ll laugh and cry but most of all you’re connect with another person who is on this same journey we’re all on. Go read “The Elephant in the Room” by Tommy Tomlinson.