This is an area for great caution.
Most medications in mental health have effects - and side-effects that may be distressing.
There are an increasing number of treatments not involving drugs, becoming increasingly available, that may work alongside medication, and sometimes instead of medication. You may need to ask about these locally, to find about (or campaign for) their availability.
But beware, what works for one person may not work for another person.
Carers need information because often, carers administer the medication for the loved-one, or prompt the loved-one to attend sessions for treatments. This puts carers into the situation of someone 'policing' the loved-one, possibly taking a medication they hate, in the hope it will help them.
Depending on the effects and side-effects of the medication(s), the loved-one and/or carer may seek an alternative with better effects, and less distressing side-effects
IMPORTANT: Advice based on many people's comments:
It is unwise to stop a person's medication suddenly, even more unwise to change it suddenly from one to another. Get good advice first, if at all possible.
Advice and information are available from several sources:
- The GP / Family doctor
- The Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN)
- The leaflets that come with the medication, and guidance (for service users / carers) that may include medications and treatments
- The staff at the hospital - especially the psychiatrist, and the local mental-health Pharmacist, who may attend ward-rounds/case reviews
- Helplines - see the Emergency Helplines section
- The British National Formulary (BNF), and other specialist books
|
|
