WEBVTT

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One of the questions I get a lot from my patients,

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particularly when we're starting medications, is,

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"Okay, Doc, how long do I need to stay on these medications?

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Can I stop them as soon as I start feeling better?

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Because, you know what, I don't wanna be on the medications

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for the rest of my life."

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Well, this is kind of a tricky question

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and something that you and your provider can talk about

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as you guys are going through treatment.

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Because it really depends on how you respond

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to the medications, how they're working for you,

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and how intense your symptoms are.

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And that will impact how long your doctor or your provider

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will want you to keep taking the medications.

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There are some people who may need to stay on them

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for a long time, and other people that can take them

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until they are stable enough to do other things

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that can complement their treatment

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and help move them towards recovery.

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And when they're feeling well enough,

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we definitely want to try to minimize medicine.

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So we may back down on doses or be able to use

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as little as possible to help you still stay functional.