Starting a medication of any kind can feel concerning - perhaps you’ve heard tales of negative side effects, or read worrying accounts from other people online.

Lots of questions come to mind when people consider medication - what if it makes me feel worse? What if I gain weight? If I start, could I ever stop? Will someone make me take it if I don’t want to?

The topic of medication is a serious one, but it needn’t feel unapproachable; consultant psychiatrist Dr Robert Harland talks through the topic of psychiatric medication here, gives his account of patient side effects, discusses how the process of starting medication typically works, and how medication can be managed, as well as stopped.