by Joel L. Young M.D.
The decision to take medication for a psychiatric issue is never easy. Some patients worry that this decision means they're no longer in control of their own behavior. Others worry about the stigma of taking these drugs, while some diligently hide their psychiatric drug use from friends and family.
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Taking psychiatric drugs, though, is no different from taking medication for diabetes or an infection. And just as these drugs sometimes cause side effects, so too do psychiatric drugs. Sadly, many patients find that their concerns about side effects aren't taken seriously. Others are so frustrated by immediate side effects that they're unwilling to wait and see if the effects eventually dissipate. Psychiatric medications have the power to change your life, but often the positive effects take several weeks to materialize, while the unpleasant side effects manifest almost immediately.
If you're struggling with unwanted side effects, here's how to better manage them.
1. Talk to Your Doctor
If your side effects are interfering with your life, your very first call should be to your doctor. Psychiatric drugs change brain chemistry, so it's not safe to suddenly stop taking them on your own—or worse still, repeatedly stop and restart.
2.Wait and See
It might sound like the reassurance of a doctor who just wants to keep you on your drugs, but it really is true: a lot of side effects go away as your body adjusts to the drug.
3.Looking at Lifestyle
Psychiatric drugs don't operate in a vacuum; these drugs must interact with the environment you provide for them and yourself, which means that lifestyle issues often figure prominently in psychiatric drug side effects.
4.Look into Lowering the Dose
Sometimes the dosage of a drug is just too high. If you find yourself getting jittery, or if the drug is working but is producing unpleasant side effects, this is a good indication that you might need a lower dosage
5.Try a Different Medication
The world of psychiatric drugs is a tricky one. Some drugs just don't work for some people, and no one really knows why. Unique body chemistry, different lifestyles, or even different subjective experiences of side effects might all help explain the phenomenon. (Source:PsyToday)
If you're struggling with unwanted side effects, here's how to better manage them.
1. Talk to Your Doctor If your side effects are interfering with your life, your very first call should be to your doctor. Psychiatric drugs change brain chemistry, so it's not safe to suddenly stop taking them on your own—or worse still, repeatedly stop and restart.
2.Wait and See
It might sound like the reassurance of a doctor who just wants to keep you on your drugs, but it really is true: a lot of side effects go away as your body adjusts to the drug.
3.Looking at Lifestyle
Psychiatric drugs don't operate in a vacuum; these drugs must interact with the environment you provide for them and yourself, which means that lifestyle issues often figure prominently in psychiatric drug side effects.
4.Look into Lowering the Dose
Sometimes the dosage of a drug is just too high. If you find yourself getting jittery, or if the drug is working but is producing unpleasant side effects, this is a good indication that you might need a lower dosage
5.Try a Different Medication
The world of psychiatric drugs is a tricky one. Some drugs just don't work for some people, and no one really knows why. Unique body chemistry, different lifestyles, or even different subjective experiences of side effects might all help explain the phenomenon. (Source:PsyToday)
