Managing mental health medications

It is important to remember that medications do not cure mental health conditions. They can make the symptoms of mental illness go away or affect you less, but if you stop taking them your symptoms may return.

If something about your mental health medication bothers you, talk with your doctor or counsellor before you stop taking it. Suddenly stopping a medication can cause unwanted side effects.

Types of mental health medication#

There are six main types of mental health medication:

• Antidepressants, used to treat depression, anxiety and some types of personality disorder.
• Antipsychotics, used to treat schizophrenia and sometimes bipolar disorder, and to help restore the brain’s chemical balance.
• Mood stabilisers, often used to treat people with bipolar disorder.
• Depressants.
• Anxiolytics, often used to treat anxiety disorders and to help people become or stay calm.
• Stimulants, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

How long medications take to work#

Stimulants and anxiolytics start working quickly, within a few hours or even less, and they stay in your body for a relatively short time.

Antidepressants usually take around two weeks before you feel the benefits. Your doctor will usually want to see you two or three weeks after you start them to check they are having an effect on your illness.

Antipsychotics can take between six weeks and a few months to reach their full effect. If you are prescribed an antipsychotic, your doctor will want to see you regularly to check how you are going.

The effects of any medication can vary from person to person depending on factors such as body size and metabolism. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information, or read the medication information leaflets for further detail.

Talking to your doctor#

It is important to be honest and open with your doctor about how you have felt since starting medication. You might feel shy or embarrassed to share personal things about your emotions and your body, but doctors are trained to deal with sensitive issues.

Side effects and long-term impacts#

Most mental health or psychiatric medications have side effects. Common ones include sleepiness or problems sleeping, headaches, weight gain, dizziness, dry mouth, muscle spasms and cramps, nausea, loss of sex drive, and constipation. Tell your doctor if you have any of these, or any other symptoms you did not have before taking the medication.

Some medications can have other effects if taken for a long time. Anxiolytics such as Valium can be addictive and, if used for too long, may cause problems such as memory difficulties, low mood or changes to your personality.

The chemicals in your medications can interact with chemicals in other things you take, even something as simple as paracetamol for a headache or a vitamin tablet. Because of this, it is really important to tell your doctor everything that you are taking, including other medicines, vitamins or herbal supplements, as well as what you have been eating and drinking, especially alcohol.

Medication in hospital and at home#

When you are admitted to hospital, it is usually because you are seriously ill and need extra treatment to get well. While you are in hospital you are often given different types and doses of medication from what you took before or will be prescribed once you go home, and staff give you your medications when you need them.

Once you are home, it is easy to forget to take the right medication and dose at the right time, and you may not always have someone with you to remind you. Some things that can help include:

• Make a weekly schedule listing each drug, the dose, and the day and time it should be taken, and put it somewhere visible such as on the fridge.
• Put your tablets into pill boxes labelled with the time of day and day of the week.
• Set reminders or appointments on your phone for when you need to take each drug.

Keep regular appointments with your doctor or counsellor so you can all keep track of how you are going and how well your medications are working for you.

Paying for medication#

The cost of medication and the support available to help with it vary depending on where you live and your circumstances. Many places offer subsidies, concessions or assistance programmes that can reduce the cost of approved prescription medications, including those used to treat mental illness.

If you are unsure what help you may be entitled to, ask your doctor, pharmacist or local health service about the options available to you.

Key points#

• It is important to remember that medications do not cure mental health conditions.
• It is important to be honest and open with your doctor about how you have felt since starting medication.
• Common side effects include sleepiness or problems sleeping.
• Tell your doctor about any side effects, or any symptoms you did not have before taking the medication.
• It is really important to tell your doctor about everything that you are taking.

Where to get help#