To de-stigmatise mental health, loved ones need to be present in consultations, says psychiatrist
It can be challenging to navigate your illness and treatment because mental health issues have different effects on different people and require individualised care.
If you don't know how to handle this from any angle, whether you're the patient or a family member helping a loved one, it can be very overwhelming. However, having access to enough resources, and information on the symptoms, side effects and treatment, gives you the chance to receive the best care possible.
Psychiatrist and mental health advocate Dr Kim Laxton believes that in order to understand and offer the support needed to de-stigmatise mental health, loved ones are encouraged to attend a session to better grasp the gravity of the situation in order to offer support or avoid feeling helpless.
“Though I motivate the concerned party to hold the consultation with the patient present." It is critical that people understand that the patient and their family members are an important part of the consultation, believes Laxton.
“It's easy to get lost when you don't understand something. In that room, there must be no hostility between you and your loved one. Learn about the diagnosis and have resources at your disposal to help you help your loved one.”
Give your love one unconditional positive regard meaning they may be afraid or confused, feeling quite isolate maybe different, you don’t have to give advice or talk, people often think that they need to take up the blank space with words, “often you just need to listen” you need to be there, and an encouraging factor in that person’s life, she said in a Q and A session with South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).
Can alcohol interfere with mental health medication working?
“Alcohol in the psychiatric world is a no.”
“One of the biggest reasons we don't encourage drinking is that it isn't necessarily bagged on medication not working. However, it can become a mental illness on its own and can prevent the person from recovering despite the medication”, she said.
She points out that medication and alcohol are metabolised by the liver, and the liver is affected by chronic alcohol use, so there is a conflicting relationship, and ultimately, what we don't want is the development of liver disease, which becomes a third diagnosis: mental illness, alcohol addiction, and now liver disease over a long period of drinking.
Common side effects of medication:
The side effects of common medications like antidepressants and anxiety medications vary depending on the subclasses.
Most people are started on serotonin medication, which can affect your gut, giving you an irritable bowel.
It causes a bit of fatigue, but in that case, the meds are changed for late at night.
The most frequent side effects of serotonergic medications are sleep patterns and sexual functions, which in about 50% of people, results in decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and very difficult depression treatment due to the side effects that cause depression or affect their mood.
Depression affects appetite.
The most significant issue is weight gain. In order to determine how we can prevent or completely eliminate that, it's pivotal to have that conversation with your clinician and have a good dietary plan that includes a dietician.
How do you know that your medication is not working?
Because you still experience the same symptoms — such as anxiety, panic attacks, and low mood — you might assume that the medication is ineffective. Patiently waiting is the first step.
Sometimes you must wait two weeks, other times eight. One method is to ask your doctor how long you should continue the medication.
Speak with your doctor if your symptoms persist because this indicates that we need to optimise your treatment and ensure that your diagnosis and any associated side effects are properly managed in order to enhance your quality of life, says Laxton.