Your Voice at the GP: A practical tool for medication reviews and monitoring

Many people arrive in counselling having been on antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication for a long time with minimal follow-up. Sometimes it has helped. Sometimes it has not. Often, people are left carrying uncertainty: Is this still the right medication? Is it doing what it’s meant to? What are the trade-offs? What’s the plan from here?

At Yurandalli Counselling Wollongong, the work is grounded in dignity, deep listening, and practical, evidence-informed support, while making space for change at your pace. In that spirit, this post is about strengthening your voice in a GP appointment, so medication decisions are informed, reviewed, and genuinely collaborative.

Medication should never be “set and forget”

Medication can be an important support when it’s needed. But because the impacts can be significant, physically, emotionally, relationally, it deserves active oversight.

A solid medication plan usually includes:

• a clear reason for prescribing (what it’s targeting and why)

• what “improvement” should look like (and how you’ll measure it)

• likely side effects and what to do if they show up

• a follow-up timeframe (not months or years later)

• an agreed approach to review, adjustment, continuation, or tapering (when appropriate)

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A trauma-informed lens on GP conversations

If you’ve lived through trauma, violence, coercion, racism, discrimination, or unsafe systems, medical settings can feel activating. A trauma-informed approach prioritises choice, collaboration, transparency, and your sense of safety.

If it helps, you can:

• take a support person

• write your questions down (and bring this list)

• ask for slower pacing (“Can we take this step by step?”)

• request clear language (and check your understanding)

• ask for a second appointment if you feel pressured to decide on the spot

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My stance: medication as a considered support, not a first resort

Medication can be helpful when someone is significantly impacted, functioning is dropping across multiple areas of life, protective factors are limited, and talk therapy alone isn’t currently enough to stabilise things.

When medication is explored, the goal is not to “replace” therapy, it is to increase capacity so therapy can work more effectively, and so you can access more internal and external resources. Medication should always be a part of a multi-focused approach.

Just as importantly: medication decisions should be based on informed consent, the evidence, the risks, the side effects, the expected timeframe, and a safe plan for starting (“titrating on”) and, if appropriate, later reducing (“titrating off”) under medical supervision.

Your GP appointment: how to prepare

Before you go

• Note your main symptoms (what’s hardest right now).

• Track basics for 1–2 weeks if you can: sleep, appetite, mood, anxiety spikes, panic, motivation, concentration.

• Write down the impact: work, parenting, relationships, daily functioning.

• List prior treatments: therapy approaches, lifestyle supports, previous medications and responses.

During the appointment

• Ask the GP to explain the “why” in plain language.

• Ask what review looks like: timing, measures, and next steps.

• Take notes (or ask if you can).

After the appointment

• If you start medication, book your review appointment straight away.

• If anything feels unclear, follow up, clarity is part of safety.

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Questions to ask your GP

To be informed, you need to ask questions. This is your body and your life. Consider taking this list to your next appointment (and add your own).

Purpose and expectations

• What is the clinical reason for recommending this medication?

• What symptoms is it intended to help with?

• What would “it’s working” look like in my day-to-day life?

• How long might it take to notice benefits?

Risks, side effects, and safety

• What are the common side effects? What are the more serious (but less common) ones to look out for?

• How might this affect sleep, appetite, energy, libido, weight, or concentration?

• Are there interactions with alcohol, other meds, supplements, or recreational substances?

• If I feel worse, more agitated, or emotionally “off,” what should I do and how quickly should I contact you?

Review and monitoring

• When will we review this (specifically)? Two weeks? Four weeks? Six weeks?

• What would make you increase, reduce, or change the medication?

• Are there any checks needed (for example, blood pressure or blood tests)?

Duration and stopping

• In situations like mine, what’s the typical duration of use?

• If I decide to stop later, what would a safe tapering plan look like?

• What discontinuation effects should I know about, and how would we manage them?

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A final note

You are allowed to be informed. You are allowed to ask for review. You are allowed to slow the conversation down and request clarity. Good care is not only about access to medication, it’s about safety, oversight, and a plan that respects your life and your choices.

Important: This post is general information and is not medical advice. If you are in immediate danger or at risk of harm, call 000. If you need urgent support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.