There are five main groups of<unk> s. *Antidepressants, which treat disparate disorders such as clinical depression, dysthymia, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and borderline personality disorder. *Antipsychotics, which treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms occurring in the context of other disorders such as mood disorders. They are also used for the treatment of bipolar disorder. *Anxiolytics, which treat anxiety disorders, and include hypnotics and sedatives *Mood stabilizers, which treat bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. *Stimulants, which treat disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. Antidepressants Antidepressants are drugs used to treat clinical depression, and they are also often used for anxiety and other disorders. Most antidepressants will hinder the breakdown of serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine. A commonly used class of antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which act on serotonin transporters in the brain to increase levels of serotonin in the synaptic cleft. Another is the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which increase both serotonin and norepinephrine. Antidepressants will often take 3–5 weeks to have a noticeable effect as the regulation of receptors in the brain adapts. There are multiple classes of antidepressants which have different mechanisms of action. Another type of antidepressant is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), which is thought to block the action of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down serotonin and norepinephrine. MAOIs are not used as first-line treatment due to the risk of hypertensive crisis related to the consumption of foods containing the amino acid tyramine. Common antidepressants: *Fluoxetine (Prozac), SSRI *Paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat), SSRI *Citalopram (Celexa), SSRI *Escitalopram (Lexapro), SSRI *Sertraline (Zoloft), SSRI *Duloxetine (Cymbalta), SNRI *Venlafaxine (Effexor), SNRI *Bupropion (Wellbutrin), NDRI *Mirtazapine (Remeron), NaSSA *Isocarboxazid (Marplan), MAOI *Phenelzine (Nardil), MAOI *Tranylcypromine (Parnate), MAOI *Amitriptyline (Elavil), TCA Antipsychotics Antipsychotics are drugs used to treat various symptoms of psychosis, such as those caused by psychotic disorders or schizophrenia. Atypical antipsychotics are also used as mood stabilizers in the treatment of bipolar disorder, and they can augment the action of antidepressants in major depressive disorder. Antipsychotics are sometimes referred to as neuroleptic drugs and some antipsychotics are branded "major tranquilizers". There are two categories of antipsychotics: typical antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics. Most antipsychotics are available only by prescription. Common antipsychotics: Typical antipsychotics Atypical antipsychotics *Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) *Haloperidol (Haldol) *Perphenazine (Trilafon) *Thioridazine (Melleril) *Thiothixene (Navane) *Flupenthixol (Fluanxol) *Trifluoperazine (Stelazine) *Aripiprazole (Abilify) *Clozapine (Clozaril) *Lurasidone (Latuda) *Olanzapine (Zyprexa) *Paliperidone (Invega) *Quetiapine (Seroquel) *Risperidone (Risperdal) *Zotepine (Nipolept) *Ziprasidone (Geodon) Anxiolytics and Hypnotics Benzodiazepines are effective as hypnotics, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, myorelaxants and amnesics. Having less proclivity for overdose and toxicity, they have widely supplanted barbiturates. Developed in the 1950s onward, benzodiazepines were originally thought to be non-addictive at therapeutic doses, but are now known to cause withdrawal symptoms similar to barbiturates and alcohol. Benzodiazepines are generally recommended for short-term use. Z-drugs are a group of drugs with effects generally similar to benzodiazepines, which are used in the treatment of insomnia. Common benzodiazepines and z-drugs include: Benzodiazepines Z-drug hypnotics *Alprazolam (Xanax), anxiolytic *Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), anxiolytic *Clonazepam (Klonopin), anxiolytic *Diazepam (Valium), anxiolytic *Lorazepam (Ativan), anxiolytic *Nitrazepam (Mogadon), hypnotic *Temazepam (Restoril), hypnotic *Eszopiclone (Lunesta) *Zaleplon (Sonata) *Zolpidem (Ambien, Stilnox) *Zopiclone (Imovan) Mood stabilizers In 1949, the Australian John Cade discovered that lithium salts could control mania, reducing the frequency and severity of manic episodes. This introduced the now popular drug lithium carbonate to the mainstream public, as well as being the first mood stabilizer to be approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Besides lithium, several anticonvulsants and atypical antipsychotics have mood stabilizing activity. The mechanism of action of mood stabilizers is not well understood. Common non-antipsychotic mood stabilizers include: *Lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith), the oldest mood stabilizer *Anticonvulsants *Carbamazepine (Tegretol) and the related compound oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) *Valproic acid, and salts (Depakene, Depakote) *Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Stimulants A stimulant is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system, increasing arousal, attention and endurance. Stimulants are used in psychiatry to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Because the medications can be addictive, patients with a history of drug abuse are typically monitored closely or treated with a non-stimulant. Common stimulants: *Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor *Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), the active dextro-enantiomer of methylphenidate *Mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall), a 3:1 mix of dextro/levo-enantiomers of amphetamine *Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), the dextro-enantiomer of amphetamine *Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), a prodrug containing the dextro-enantiomer of amphetamine *Methamphetamine (Desoxyn), a potent but infrequently prescribed amphetamine
Psychiatric medication
Diabetes medication
Dietary supplement
Concomitant drug
Anti-obesity medication
Heroic medicine
Alcohol intoxication
Psychoactive drug