How to save someone’s life (or just get them to stay on medication)

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This is the 3rd part of a series on mental health treatment and medications. While the prior two focused on getting into treatment and onto medications, this guide looks at what is often even harder — following through on treatment and staying on medications through doubts and side effects and temptations to reduce effective therapies.

Let me start with a personal story. I take 5 psych meds. One is an anti-depressant, another 2 are for anxiety, a fourth for reducing mood downswings, and a fifth for managing mood variability. That is a lot of medications, but for the past 8 years, they have helped me develop and sustain a promising career, meet and marry and beautiful woman, and show up for my family and step-daughter.

Then one night last month I decided to experiment with lowering one of my five medications by 25 percent. My motivation was that I was planning on eventually coming down on this drug, and I happened to be on an exciting romantic retreat with my wife celebrating our 2-year anniversary. The medication I wanted to reduce is intentionally dulling, as in it lowers sensation and reactivity. But I wanted to experience this weekend to the absolute…