February 17, 2026

Psychopharmacology

Created By:
Jennifer Ray, PMHNP-BC, MSW
Jennifer Ray, PMHNP-BC, MSW
Jennifer Ray is a Columbia trained pharmacologist and therapist with expertise in the treatment of depression and anxiety. She also enjoys working with clients with other conditions, including ADHD and OCD. She has a particular interest in working with those in the LGBTQ+ community.
Created Date:
February 17, 2026
Reviewed By:
Ryan Sultan, MD
Ryan Sultan, MD
Dr. Ryan Sultan is an internationally recognized Columbia, Cornell, and Emory trained and double Board-Certified Psychiatrist. He treats patients of all ages and specializes in Anxiety, Ketamine, Depression, ADHD.
Reviewed By:
Ryan Sultan, MD
Ryan Sultan, MD
Dr. Ryan Sultan is an internationally recognized Columbia, Cornell, and Emory trained and double Board-Certified Psychiatrist. He treats patients of all ages and specializes in Anxiety, Ketamine, Depression, ADHD.
Reviewed On Date:
February 17, 2026
Estimated Read Time
3
minutes.

Key Takeaways

Medication Treatment for Mental Health 

When you're dealing with depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other mental health conditions, medication is one treatment option worth understanding clearly. 

Who Might Benefit from Medication? 

Medication can be valuable when your symptoms are causing significant functional impairment—affecting your work performance, relationships, self-care, or quality of life. It's particularly worth considering if you've found that psychotherapy and lifestyle interventions alone haven't provided sufficient relief, or if your symptoms are severe enough to make it difficult to engage with other forms of treatment. 

Research shows evidence for medication in conditions like major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and others. But evidence is just one piece of the picture—your individual experience, preferences, and circumstances all matter in deciding whether medication makes sense for you. 

How Medication Can Help 

Medication doesn't alter your fundamental personality or mask your authentic self. What it can do is address symptoms that are keeping you stuck. 

For depression, effective medication treatment might restore your capacity for pleasure and motivation, improve your energy and concentration, and reduce rumination. For anxiety disorders, it can dampen excessive worry and physiological arousal, making it possible to sleep, think clearly, and engage with life without being constantly on edge. For ADHD, medication can improve sustained attention, impulse control, and executive functioning—the cognitive scaffolding you need to follow through on intentions. 

The aim is symptomatic relief that translates into functional improvement: being able to work productively, maintain relationships, pursue what matters to you, and access your own capabilities without being derailed by symptoms.

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