I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner so take that into consideration as you read my answer.
Chronic pain can effect all aspects of your life. You cant make big changes all at once, even if you want to that can exacerbate the pain make it worse. Start by looking at your life and finding the things that you are missing. Do you eat a healthy diet, get regular sleep or exercise? Do you have hobbies, friends that you enjoy spending time with? Pick one thing, like sleep or diet. Try to have better habits in that area. Sometimes medication can help with chronic pain in the form of antidepressants SNRIs, duloxetine, TCAs amitriptyline or nortriptyline. You can do this. You dont have to be a slave to your pain. Decide each day that you are worth it and will find a way to work through this.

It depends on the purpose of the antipsychotic medication. These can be given for several different reasons from psychosis to depression to insomnia. The higher the dose, the more the risk. Most antipsychotic medications come with the risk of metabolic syndrome. That is increased weight, insulin resistance, high blood pressure... That is why we measure vital signs including weight at each psychiatric appointment. There are also risks to kidney or liver function depending on the medication- that doesn't have to be an antipsychotic either. We monitor cholesterol levels, thyroid function, even platelets. Some of those medications can be toxic at higher levels in the blood or ineffective at lower levels too. that was the stuff we watch for- including abnormal movements (tardive dyskinesia).

Benefits can be amazing too! If you have paranoia or hallucinations, antipsychotics can help you. If you are depressed and your medication isn't quite taking care of your depression- this class of medication can be just the thing to bring you back to feeling better. Lastly, it is also beneficial for insomnia. This isn't my favorite use as the risks are pretty high for just a good night's sleep. BUT- it will help you sleep.

The most important thing to know is that medications aren't always used for what you would think. Don't judge based on the drug class. Always ask if you are curious, but understand that mental health is a very private thing that they may not want to share. Please be respectful

It usually take 6-8 weeks for medications to start working. I like to have someone stable on their medication for 6 months before I begin to wean them off the medication- which can take a few month depending on the treatment plan. Long answer short- 6 months to a year.