Hello everybody! I hope everyone is doing good today. Today I'm going to talk about the side effects of psych meds.
To start off the most noticable side effect that many people experience is weight gain. That is due to a lot of anti depression and mood stabilizers slowing down your metabolism. Before I got on psych meds I was able to eat whatever I wanted and was able to eat as much as I wanted without gaining a pound. Now that I am on them the meds make me hungrier and also slows down my metabolism. If you are not wanting to gain weight I'd suggest asking your psychiatrist to put you on weight neutral medication then you will have a better chance of not putting on weight.
Another side effect that really only affects teenagers and young adults is suicidal thoughts. I'm not sure why that is but it's true. I've experienced this side effect when I was younger. I'm assuming it's because your brain isn't fully matured till you're 25. But if you're a teenager or young adult and are wondering why you're still having suicidal thoughts that's something to consider.
Some anxiety meds can cause you to have outbursts of anger sometimes. I've noticed when I was on mood stabilizers I got angry more than being on anti depressants.
One you wouldn't expect is impulsions. I told my psychiatrist some of what I was doing, like impulsively buying things and gambling and she said that one of the meds I was on for alcohol cravings caused me to be more implosive.
Constipation is another not so fun side effect to have. And that's having to do with a slower metabolism. But not all meds make you constipated. Only some blood pressure meds used for anxiety and some mood stabilizers cause constipation.
One thing you don't want is to be over medicated though. When I was younger I was on like 7 medications and pretty much was zoned out and acted like a zombie. The reason behind that was they were having me take medication people normally take at night during the day so I was constantly tired all the time. I've learned you don't have to be on a ton of meds to be happy. I'm currently on 2 meds and I'm happier than ever.
That's all! Thank you so much for reading! Make sure to hit the follow button and comment to tell me what you thought about it and what else you would like to see. Let's bring mental health and addiction into the spotlight in 2021 and show the people who feel alone that they are not alone. Make the best of this year and keep an eye out for my next blog coming soon. Stay safe and have a great day everyone!
