Types of medications
January 7, 2011
Psychiatric medications have historically been divided into six groups: Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, Anxiolytics, Depressants, Mood Stabilizers, and Stimulants. Each specific group is used to treat different disorders, and produces different physical and mental effects in the body.Antidepressants: True to their name, this group of medicines is most often used to treat depression, but they are also used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders. Psychiatrist Petros Markou, M.D. has said that antidepressants are more effective than any alternative treatment for adults with severe depression. In theory, people with depression will experience a positive shift in their mood after taking antidepressants, but other individuals will not experience this effect. Examples include Prozac, Zoloft, and Effexor.Antipsychotics: Antipsychotics are a tranquilizing medication primarily used to treat psychoses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The first such medications were discovered in the 1950s and are known as typical antipsychotics, while atypical antipsychotics were developed in the succeeding years. Most antipsychotics work by blocking the receptors in dopamine pathwaysatypical antipsychotics were originally thought to reduce some of the adverse side effects in the early medications, but this has been challenged in recent years. Examples include Thorazine, Prolixin, and Clozaril.Anxiolytics: These medications are used to treat anxiety disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally used as antidepressants, but higher dosages, after a certain amount of time, can produce anxiolytic effects. Most treatments, however, involve some degree of benzodiazepines, which slow down the central nervous system in order to produce calming effects. Benzodiazepines have also been prescribed for non-anxiety related disorders, including epilepsy, muscle spasms, and alcohol withdrawal. Examples include Xanax, Valium, and Ativan.Depressants: These drugs are used to treat a variety of disorders due to their activity-reducing function in the brain. Effects can include sleepiness, anxiety relief, analgesia, and muscle relaxation. Alcohol is a legal, non-prescription depressant used recreationally. Most depressants inhibit certain types of body activity while promoting othersmost often, they produce GABA and opioid activity. Many types of depressants are illegal in the United States. Prescription-only depressants are also easily addictive, and include Morphine, Hydrocodone, and Oxycodone.Mood Stabilizers: The most common conditions treated by these medications are bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. Many mood stabilizers are known as anticonvulsants, such as Depakene, Lamictal, and Trileptal. Other mood stabilizers include lithium, which was the first mood stabilizer approved by the FDA. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to aid mood stabilizers in reducing depressive activity, but sufficient studies have not been carried out to prove the acids’ efficiency on their own.Stimulants: This group of psychoactive drugs treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, among others. Like depressants, many are illegal, and others are only available through prescriptions. However, caffeine and nicotine are both non-prescription stimulants found indifferent products. Such stimulants may be used to improve alertness and endurance, or simply to relieve anxiety. Ironically, some stimulants have also been shown to increase anxiety. Modafinil is a stimulant approved by the FDA for treating narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.