What are psychiatric medications and what role do they play in the treatment of mental illness? What are the limitations and adverse effects of medications?
Psychiatric medications are prescribed by psychiatrists. They help in cases when the symptoms of mental illness have become so severe that they are causing significant distress to the sufferer. However, psychiatric medications are not a cure but are useful in getting the symptoms of mental illness under control. They do this by numbing the distress that sufferers are feeling so they are able to process the unpleasant emotions that were overwhelming them.
They are to be used in combination with other forms of treatment in order for the sufferer to achieve a complete recovery. In addition there is no set regimen for a particular condition. Some medications may work well with one sufferer but have no benefit for another even if they are diagnosed with the same condition. Usually psychiatrists need to experiment with different medications in order to figure out which ones work for their patients. This procedure is normal and, despite the inconvenience, the compliance of the sufferer is extremely important.
It is a well-known fact that psychiatric medications have certain side effects that may cause great distress by themselves. This fact often discourages sufferers from taking medications and is also used by other people to discourage sufferers from continuing with the medications. It is important to see whether the improvement in health outweighs the side-effects caused by the medications. If it does, then it is advisable to continue the medications. If not, then the sufferer can inform their psychiatrist who can then change the medication to one which causes fewer side effects.