However, there is a big need for effective help. The good news is that millions of Americans have found relief from depression, anxiety, and other problems through psychotherapy. At this point considerable scientific research has been done on psychotherapy and effective treatment approaches have been developed for many problems. However, life is not that simple. Chemicals are involved in all of our thoughts, feelings, and actions and our thoughts and feelings infulence the chemicals in our brains as well.
Most problems involve biochemical, psychological, and behavioral components.
Consider depression as an example. In reality, both antidepressant medication and psychotherapy are effective treatments for depression and they can be used separately or in combination. For some problems, appropriate medication is an important part of treatment. For other problems, medication can be useful as a part of treatment but the problem can also be treated effectively without medication. For yet other problems, no effective medications have yet been developed.