Picture taken from Pixabay
Hi all! Welcome back to my blog! As some of you may know, I deal with mental illness. I have depression and borderline personality disorder. For a long time, I was hesitant to reach out for help with my mental health, but I finally starting going to therapy in 2019. Even though I decided to get help with my mental health, I was still very hesitant to take medication. I’m usually hesitant about taking new medication, but I was even more reluctant to take psychiatric medication. I am now on an antidepressant and an antipsychotic. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16.5 percent of American adults were taking medication for mental illness in 2020. A combination of therapy and medication is the most effective way to manage mental illness.
The different types of psychiatric medications are antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Antidepressants are mainly used to treat depression, although they can also be used to treat anxiety, pain, and insomnia as well. Anti-anxiety medications are used to treat anxiety, although antidepressants can also be used for anxiety and are usually prescribed initially before anti-anxiety medication. Stimulants are used to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It can also treat narcolepsy. Stimulants can improve alertness and focus. Antipsychotics are used to treat psychosis. Conditions that involve psychosis are bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and severe psychotic depression. Mood stabilizers are often used to treat bipolar disorder, but can be used to help with mood regulation in other mental illnesses as well. Psychiatric medication can be very helpful, but they have their cons as well. This is why there are those who warn against taking psychiatric medication, including members of the British royal family.
Thomas Kingston, a member of the British royal family through marriage, died by suicide in February last year in 2024. His family was left devastated, and are now advocating for better communication between doctors and patients about the serious side effects of psychiatric medications. The coroner who handled looking into the cause of Mr. Kingston’s death also warned about the side effects of psychiatric medications. Psychiatric medications do have some serious side effects. With antidepressants, some side effects are upset stomach, headache, or sexual dysfunction. In young people under the age of 25, antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts. Some children on stimulants feel unlike their usual selves. Antipsychotics can cause stroke or death in older adults. Older first generation antipsychotics, often called typical antipsychotics, can lead a condition called Tardive dyskinesia, which is when muscles in the body move uncontrollably. People on newer generation antipsychotics, or atypical antipsychotics, generally need to have their weight, glucose levels, and lipid levels monitored by their doctor. One very commonly used mood stabilizer is lithium. Those who take lithium need to have their lithium levels routinely checked, as overdosing on lithium can cause serious side effects. Also, stopping any psychiatric medication abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Hopefully, Mr. Thomas Kingston was informed about the side effects of the particular medication he was prescribed.
One of the medications Kingston was at first prescribed was sertraline. After returning to his doctor and reporting that the medication was not working, he was put on citalopram. At the time of his death, Kingston had stopped taking the antidepressants. As mentioned previously, stopping psychiatric medication can lead to withdrawal symptoms. It is very imperative that mental health professionals are transparent about the side effects of psychiatric drugs, but it is also very important that patients closely follow the instructions of the doctor.
Making the choice of whether or not to take psychiatric medication is a serious decision to make. It is important to know that everyone’s body reacts differently to medication. Some people may suffer bad side effects. However, there are many people who experience minimal side effects or none at all and find psychiatric medications to be life saving. Whether or not a person should take medication or not doesn’t have an easy answer. However, being informed can make the decision to take medication and dealing with medication easier.
Life with Charli 