Medical Reviewer:
Last reviewed:
Aug 16th 2023
LSW
Medications
Medications play a key role in treating mental health disorders alongside talking therapies. There are many forms of mental health medication and it may require some trial and error to find the right one to effectively treat a specific disorder.
What types of mental health medications are there?
There are a wide range of medications used to treat different mental health disorders. These medications are often grouped by the conditions they are intended to treat, though they are often used interchangeably between disorders depending on the patient's specific needs.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are one of the most ubiquitous forms of mental health disorder medication groups. Antidepressants are widely used in the treatment of mood disorders such as major depressive disorder but are also used in the treatment of symptoms of other conditions, such as negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Widely used antidepressants include:
- Trazodone (Desyrel)
- Sertraline (Zoloft)
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Antipsychotics
Antipsychotics are predominantly only used to treat mental health disorders that have symptoms of psychosis or mania. These conditions include schizophrenia, delusional disorder, brief psychotic disorder, and manic symptoms in conditions like bipolar.
Antipsychotics include:
- Amisulpride (Solian)
- Thiothixene (Navane)
- Mesoridazine (Serentil)
- Fluphenazine (Decanoate)
Anti-anxiety
Anti-anxiety medications are also widely used in treating mental health conditions. They often fall under the drug class called benzodiazepines, which are sedative medications that can relax brain function and reduce stress in the body.
Anti-anxiety medications include:
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
- Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
Anticonvulsants
Anticonvulsants are mostly used to treat epilepsy, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and spasmodic symptoms of other conditions. While these medications mainly treat physical symptoms, they can help alleviate uncomfortable or intrusive symptoms of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia or physically manic symptoms of delirium.
Anticonvulsant medications include:
- Carbamazepine (Tergretol)
- Ethosuximide (Zarontin)
- Phenytoin
- Lamotrigine
Other
As well as the above medications, there are a wide range of mental health disorder medications used to treat specific symptoms of multiple conditions. These include central nervous stimulants that are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others used to treat acute dystonic reactions (involuntary muscle contractions).
Other medications include:
- Benztropine
- Vigabatrin (Sabril)
- Trihexyphenidyl (Artane)
- Dextroamphetamine
- Propranolol (Inderal)
Author
Ethan CullenEthan Cullen is our expert writer passionate about mental health awareness. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, Ethan's advocacy and exceptional writing skills empower individuals on their mental health journey.
Published: Nov 29th 2022, Last edited: Aug 18th 2023
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Jenni Jacobsen is a licensed social worker and behavioral health consultant. She has a PhD in clinical psychology and teaches college curriculum in the areas of mental health and addiction.
Content reviewed by a medical professional. Date reviewed: Aug 16th 2023
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