Coping Skills vs. Medications

Right now I am in one of those moments when I am feeling sad, scared, slightly panicky, overwhelmed, and doubtful. I am debating whether I should turn to a medication--that is prescribed p.r.n.--or if I should work even harder than I am right now to feel better through coping skills. I know it seems like a simple answer--just use coping skills as much as possible--but sometimes when coping skills don't reduce the symptoms, the symptoms snowball in severity, and you feel like you are starting from square one again. When taking medication, especially if it's two or three, or even more medications, it's so difficult to separate which medication is helping you, which coping skill, etc. Having a trusted physician, or psychiatrist, or therapist or someone who is a professional and can be objective, is crucial in this process. We are so subjective about ourselves, of course, that we can sometimes be a hindrance to recovery. We want to be our own doctors and therapists, because if we ask for help we have to admit there's a problem that we cannot totally manage on our own, and we overwhelm ourselves even more. So, my plan for right now, is to take the medication as prescribed and use my coping skills.