When Will My Symptoms Go Away?
Symptoms can vary with the diagnosis. Those with depression and anxiety often struggle with poor sleep, appetite, low energy, poor concentration, muscle tension, irritability, and moodiness. Some symptoms can get quite bad like panic attacks, feelings of hopelessness or even suicidal ideation. Bipolar disorder has manic symptoms that can get quite serious and lead to hospitalization. Schizophrenia symptoms can include delusions and hallucinations. Often what starts out as mild symptoms, left untreated, can quickly become moderate or severe. It’s important to be proactive and not suffer unnecessarily. Psychiatrists are able to help, and treatment can provide relief. How fast symptoms go away depends on the diagnosis, severity, and medication used.
How Long Before My Anti-Depressants Work?
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s) like Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa are designed to block the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain and allow more serotonin to be left floating in the brain, which improves depression and anxiety. It can take 3-5 weeks to build up in your system. Psychiatrists will tell you that it is important to continue taking your SSRI’s so you stay in the therapeutic range, otherwise reuptake will start to occur less often, and symptoms can worsen.
How Long Do I Have to Wait for My Mood Stabilizers to Work?
Although bipolar is quite rare overall, mania is very serious, and relief is often needed quickly. Mood stabilizers are designed to keep manic symptoms at bay, and most are prescribed by psychiatrists. Often the medication will start working in two weeks but may need up to 4-6 weeks to fully work. Antipsychotics, often used to treat schizophrenia, are sometimes used to treat bipolar disorder as well. Those can start working within days but could take 3-8 weeks to reach full effect.
Will Any Psychiatric Medication Work Quickly for Me?
There are a couple of classes of medication that are fast acting. Stimulant medications are used to treat ADHD. A psychiatrist may prescribe Adderall for ADHD, and it is often working within 20-30 minutes and symptoms can be relieved. Those medications don’t last very long and typically wear off by the end of the day. Anxiolytics like Benzodiazepines are also very fast acting and sedating. They are used to manage anxiety or aid with sleep. Like stimulants, they don’t last very long. Psychiatrists are very careful with these medications because they are controlled substances which can be abused or people can develop dependence on them, especially the Benzodiazepines.
If you want relief from your symptoms, feel free to contact IPC so you can schedule an appointment with one of our psychiatrists. Please call us now at 763-416-4167, or request an appointment on our website: WWW.IPC-MN.COM so we can sit down with you and complete a thorough assessment and help you develop a plan of action that will work for you. Life is too short to be unhappy. Find the peace of mind you deserve.
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