When we walk into the doctor’s office, for many of us, the scenario looks like this: We list off our symptoms, the doctor asks a few questions, writes out a prescription and we go on our way.
From her work in primary care settings, Risa Weisberg, Ph.D, assistant professor (research) and co-director of the Brown University Program for Anxiety Research at Alpert Medical School, has seen “firsthand how a great many patients accept a prescription from their provider without asking many questions about it, or often, without even knowing for what symptoms/disorder it is being prescribed.”
Such a scenario can stall or sabotage your treatment. Confused, you’re likely left with tons of questions, unaware of what you’re taking and how it’s supposed to help. You may be feeling helpless — a spectator in your own recovery — and hopeless, if the medication doesn’t seem to work or has bad side effects. Your doctor likely is clueless about your real concerns, not having all the information to guide his or her decision-making process.
But you don’t have to feel like a powerless bystander, on the outskirts of your own treatment. In order to become a sharp self-advocate, you just need some information. Here’s some hints for for taking medication safely and effectively. At the end, you’ll also find a basic glossary of common medication-related terms.
