People suffering from mental illness should work closely with their psychiatrist and mental health nurse to understand what medications they are taking, why they are taking them, how to take them and what side effects to watch for. They can be addictive when taken continuously and therefore withdrawal symptoms may occur if long term use is suddenly ceased. Such symptoms include worsening of the anxiety or, in severe cases, fitting. Seek urgent medical attention if an overdose occurs. Combinations of these with alcohol, heroin, methadone and some other drugs, may cause life-threatening situations.
Antipsychotics are available either as tablets or as long-acting injections.
They are used to treat the symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucination's. Although two to three weeks are required for these drugs to take effect, there is an initial calming effect. These release the drug's effect slowly over a period of 2 to 3 weeks from beneath the skin at the injection site. The advantage is that the sufferer doesn't have to remember to take tablets 3 to 4 times a day. These may cause dizziness.