Most patients I come across are initially reluctant to take medicines for whatever mental illness they may be suffering from. When I ask them what their apprehensions are, more often than not I find an undue fear of either becoming addicted to medicines or having severe side effects. I have also found that many opt for Ayurvedic or Homeopathic medicines believing that those are free from side effects. It is no doubt true that you will find hardly any information if you were to do an internet search for the side effects of a Homeopathic or Ayurvedic medicine, that too provided your doctor informs you what medicine is being given in the little white sugar balls or powder and in what dosage. On the other hand, a similar search for any medicine prescribed by a psychiatrist will turn up pages and pages of information on side effects.

Does the lack of information mean that there are no side effects? All allopathic medicines are subjected to rigorous clinical trials before they receive approval for marketing and it is because of the meticulous research that all the possible side effects are well known. Can we say the same about Homeopathic, Ayurvedic or Unani medicines? I do not mean to say that these are of no use. But I do feel that it is foolish to believe that these medicines cannot have any side effects just because Google fails to list any.

Many patients mention having heard from somebody or the other that once you start taking psychiatric medicines you will have to take them lifelong. While there are a few patients who will require lifelong treatment, it is not because of becoming addicted to medicines but because of the type of disease they are suffering from. Would you say that you are addicted to insulin if you are diabetic and need to take insulin or other anti-diabetic medicines all your life? The same goes for hypertension, heart disease and all other chronic diseases.

As far as side effects are concerned, can there ever be any medicine which has no side effects at all? Do we ever think of side effects when we gobble up French fries or samosas? And what about the side effects of the disease itself? Is it not stupid to avoid taking an antidepressant for the fear of side effects while letting depression waste months of your life, bringing you to the brink of suicide and making every day a burden?

My advice to all who are reluctant to take medicines prescribed by their psychiatrists is to have a heart to heart talk with your doctor and clear all your doubts rather than going by what everybody says. Please also avoid asking the neighbourhood chemist for his opinion on your doctor’s prescription.