I think a person's treatment choices for mental health treatment like any other health treatment is influenced by many things.
If any health issue of any kind is impairing our ability to function and cope in our life, then a trip to the doctor to find out what he/she can offer is in order. Depending on the problem, there may be a cure (e.g, antibiotics for a specific bacterial infection). Or it might be less certain..."chemo" for cancer might depend on the kind and stage of cancer, the general health of the patient, the size of the tumour/extent of the systemic cancer...Or maybe there is no cure (as with the common cold), just symptomatic treatment to make us feel better.
A diabetic can measure blood sugar and know if there's a problem. A person with broken leg can see a fracture in the bone on x-ray. In mental health issues, we don't have a yardstick that comes from the body, we generate a benchmark of our well-being by how well (or poorly) we are able to function emotionally and mentally. If we are delusional, we are not likely functioning well. An antipsychotic may be the fastest if not the only way to reground ourselves in reality. In many mental illnesses, the patient's own capacity to understand that his/her mental processing capabilities are impaired might be part of the illness. This makes that patient the wrong person to understand their own state of mind. And in such a case, it could be that taking the meds until we at least have our thinking back online is perhaps a good idea.
Every medication has its desired effect(s) along with possible side effects. A good doctor will be happy to discuss the side effects and the pros and cons of taking/not taking meds. Patients, more and more, need to be advocates for their own health choices. Ways we can advocate are to have questions for the doctor - What is this med for? How does it work? How soon can I expect results? What are the side effects? How long will I likely be taking it? If this doesn't work, what is the next plan? Are there other treatments to go alongside of this medicine?
By no means do we need to just go willy-nilly into taking meds, but I find myself concerned in threads such as this that being completely anti-meds might not be in our best interests, either. Working as a team member on our own health care team can help us find the right treatment and therapies that will suit us and our individual needs. No one wants to be on medication they don't really need to take...but by the same token, to eschew all meds just because they're meds, might prolong one's suffering. If an anti-depressant takes the edge off a mood disorder so the person can function better and then as they function better they begin to feel better and then because they feel better they don't need the med anymore...that's the aim...the hoped-for outcome.
When we are offered or advised to take meds, I think we owe it to ourselves to ASK the DOCTOR some questions. The doctor is the best person to discuss your concerns and needs with - the doctor knows your medical and mental health history and can tell you about the drugs and about any additional or alternative therapies out there. And the doctor will be well-versed in the treatment outcomes of meds vs non-meds approaches.
