If you have been seeing a psychiatrist recently and have been diagnosed with some kind of mental illness, there's a good chance that your psychiatrist will suggest putting you on some kind of psychiatric medication. Of course, before you agree to start taking any kind of prescription medication, there are some important questions that you should ask your psychiatrist.

How Long Before Improvement is Expected?

Start by finding out how quickly the medication typically works in patients who have similar cases as yours. This will give you (and the people you love and care about around you) an idea of what to expect. Furthermore, be sure to find out the success rate of the medication, and at what point your psychiatrist will have you stop taking the medication if progress or improvement isn't seen within a certain period of time.

Is There a Risk of Addiction/Abuse With the Medication?

Another important question that you'll want to get a straight answer to is whether or not the medication has any risk of you developing dependency, or of leading to abuse or addiction. Some medications prescribed for mental illness have a high risk of dependency or addiction based on the ingredients themselves, so if there is a significant risk, you may want to carefully consider whether or not it's worth trying the medication. Specifically, if prescription abuse runs in your family or you have had trouble with it in the past, you may want to explore other alternatives.

Could This Interfere With Other Medications?

Are you taking any other medications at the moment? If so, then you'll want to let your psychiatrist know about these so he or she can make sure there won't be any adverse drug interactions. If there is a risk of that, your psychiatrist may explore alternative medication options--or you may want to speak with your doctor about trying an alternative medication for the other prescription(s) you're taking. 

Furthermore, some psychiatric medications have bad interactions with certain foods, so be sure to obtain a comprehensive list of any foods or beverages that should be avoided while taking the medication.

What Kinds of Side Effects Are Common?

Last but not least, understand that all prescription medications come with the inherent risk of certain side effects. Be sure to find out about these well in advance, along with how common these side effects are, so you can determine whether or not the medication is right for you.

For more information, contact Comprehensive Behavioral Health Associates Inc. or a similar organization.