Drugs Used To treat Mental Illnesses
There are many varieties of drugs available to treat mental problems and some of the most commonly used ones are anti-anxiety, antidepressant, antipsychotic, mood stimulant medications, etc.
Drugs Used To Treat Depression
Many drug options are available to treat depression and some of the most common ones are Novel serotonergic medications, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin and norepinephrine inhibitors, older tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tetracyclic antidepressants, etc.
Your healthcare practitioner will be able to decide prescription drugs that are suitable for you. Understand that medications will often take 4 to 6 weeks to show complete effects. In some of the cases, a combination of antidepressants called augmentation might be necessary.
If you want to stop taking antidepressant medications, you need to decrease the dose gradually over many weeks. This is because quitting some of the antidepressants can lead to discontinuation symptoms or may even increase the chances of depression relapse. You need to discuss changing or quitting your depression medications with your healthcare provider first.
Drugs Used To Treat Anxiety Disorders
Antidepressants like SSRIs can be effective in treating many anxiety disorders. There are other anxiety medications like benzodiazepines, but these prescription medications carry the risk of addiction and therefore, they are not suitable for long-term use. In addition to getting addicted to them, there are a few other side effects for these medications. They include: decreased concentration, drowsiness, and irritability.
The medicine named buspirone is a serotonergic drug that is non-habit forming and is often used to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In addition, anti-seizure medicines like pregabalin, or gabapentin are sometimes used without FDA indication to treat some types of anxiety.
Drugs Used To Treat Psychosis
Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat psychotic disorders in which thinking can be irrational and sufferers can have hallucinations and delusions. These drugs can also be used as a treatment option for mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or major depression. Antipsychotic medications can vary in their side effects and some people will have more issues with certain side effects. To reduce unpleasant side effects, the doctor can change dosages for medications.
A drawback of some antipsychotic medications is their ability to cause sedation and issues with involuntary movements, weight gain, and changes in blood cholesterol or sugar levels. Most of the side effects of antipsychotic medications are mild and can disappear after a few weeks of treatment.