There are many different types of psychotropic medications. Below is a list of the more popular medications along with the disorder and symptoms (and here are some of their side effects) they treat.
Depression:
Depression is treated with antidepressant medications. Antidepressants help to balance chemicals that are in our brains that affect our mood. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters and they affect our mood and emotions. These neurotransmitters are called serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The more common antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Some examples are:
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Citalopram (Celexa)
- Sertraline (Zoloft)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Other types of antidepressants are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). SNRIs are similar to SSRIs. SSRIs and SNRIs are popular because they do not cause as many side effects as other types of antidepressants. Other antidepressant medications include tricyclics, tetracyclics, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). For some people, tricyclics, tetracyclics, or MAOIs may be the best option dependent on their circumstances and needs.
Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders:
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are treated with antipsychotic medications. The older antipsychotic medications are called “typical” while the newer antipsychotic medications are referred to as “atypical” antipsychotic medication. These medications treat psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.
‘Typical’ Antipsychotic medication:
- Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
- Haloperidol (Haldol)
- Perphenazine (generic only)
- Fluphenazine (generic only)
‘Atypical’ Antipsychotic Medication:
- Risperidone (Risperdal)
- Clozapine (Clozaril)
- Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
- Quetiapine (Seroquel)
- Ziprasidone (Geodon)
- Aripiprazole (Abilify)
- Paliperidone (Invega)
- Lurasidone (Latuda)
Bipolar Disorder:
Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, is treated with mood stabilizers. At times it can be appropriate to treat bipolar disorder with antipsychotic medications or antidepressants, along with a mood stabilizer. Lithium is one of the most common mood stabilizers and is very effective. Anticonvulsant medications are sometimes used as mood stabilizers as they were found to help control mood. For some people this might work better than Lithium.
Anti-anxiety medications, antidepressant, and beta-blockers all treat anxiety symptoms. Some of the commonly know disorders include OCD, PTSD, Panic disorder, Social Phobia, and Generalized Anxiety. Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat anxiety and start working faster than antidepressants. Beta-blockers can also be used to treat anxiety as these medications help to control some of the physical symptoms of anxiety such as sweating and shaking. These medicines can help keep physical symptoms under control.
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
- Alprazolam (Xana)
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