I think the level of risk from med side effects is related to whether or not they are accompanied with other therapies including talk and behavioural modification.

One can not be 'lazy' about their recovery. Meds alone can do more harm than good sometimes if not respected. I would suggest the reason problems arise with young people more than others is because they often are not given the right therapies and support to go along with the meds. They are often just given meds and no other treatment. When the positive effects start to weaken the hopelessness and aloneness is magnified and the despiration wins the battle. Young people are less likely to ask for help a second time.

Meds need to be taken seriously. I've observed people who take a battery of meds but continue to use street drugs and alcohol....continue to neglect their diet and exercise.... hit and miss with other therapies and wonder what is wrong with their meds. They will take the time to go back again and again to docs to adjust their meds but they don't go the extra mile to change their lifestyle and behaviours. They expect the meds to solve all their problems and go looking for new meds when they don't. They mix meds and over medicate with meds and wonder why they are not getting better. Meanwhile they have no routine in their days. They don't take care of their bodies and they don't exercise their minds. They live in a fog and wonder why they can't see any light at the end of the tunnel. Take a pill to pass out. Sadly this scenerio isn't as rare as we would hope and it certainly puts those people at a very high risk of suicide. They are not only clouded by their illness but now clouded by the meds.

I'm med resistant myself and have had to learn how to cope with my symptoms without the aid of drugs. I've been the med route but once the initial stabilizing benifits had been achieved the meds became another drug that I abuse. I'd used street drugs before then and maybe my body or my disposition was predisposed to seeking a high from any drug I took. My mother died from a drug overdose and I've used meds to suicide 3 times in my life so there is all sorts of baggage attached to psych drugs and me. I don't trust doctors much given my mom's history and given my own experiences of doctors who are too quick to pass me a sample of this med or that without doing enough work to make me feel they are matching my needs to their meds. The truth for me is that I can't manage meds of any kind without abusing them or me in some form or fashion. I can't handle the responsibility it would seem and I don't have confidence in the doctors to make the right choices for me.

As a consequence I put extra effort into changing those factors in my life that trigger or feed my illness. I'm forced to be more attentive to my overall health and to honouring my boundaries. To engage in postitive self talk throughout each day and rely on my faith to give me focus and hope. I spend a lot of time learning and practising new coping skills all the time. I work hard to make my life more routine even though I covet to be spontaneous. I attend to my sleeping problems with special care. I need routine to keep me centred so I work hard to stick with some consistency in my days.

For those who do take psych meds... young and older... I think its important they understand that they should never be seen as a life long treatment plan. They are meant to manage crisis periods and provide the extra boost one needs, to stabilize and do the other work one needs to do --- spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Taking care of one's physical health with good diet and exercise needs to be on the top of everyone's list of treatment strategies. Practising relaxation techniques and learning how to cope with warped thinking and understanding our triggers and how to balance the feelings are what need to be done for our entire life time.

Meds can't do that for us. They can help put us in a space where its possible to engage in long term healing practises but they are not a substitute for the work that must be done if one is to recover enough to live life to its fullest.

I would venture young people understand this reality less than others and are therefore more vulnerable to the inevitable inadequacy of drug only treatment.

Like everything in life.... it comes down to balance. Some of this, some of that and a lot of effort from within.