Types of PSYCHOPHARM: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and stabilizers

  • Jan 04, 2022
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Types of psychotropic drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers

Depending on the mood we have at certain moments in life, there is the possibility that we are prescribed medications to go through complex situations. The media promote certain drugs so that the population has a general idea about them. It is possible that we know of some medication and associate it with certain bodily pains, even without knowing what the effects of psychotropic drugs are in our body.

Although each drug has a leaflet that talks about the main characteristics in Regarding the indicated supply, the truth is that there are many people who are unaware of this type of information. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about the types of psychotropic drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers.

You may also like: Types of antidepressants and what they are for

Index

  1. What are psychotropic drugs
  2. Antipsychotics
  3. Anxiolytics
  4. Antidepressants
  5. Mood stabilizers

What are psychotropic drugs.

The definition of psychotropic drug refers to medications that cause changes in neural connections that are part of the cerebral cortex. This is crucial since there are certain areas of the brain that are linked to the processing of information received from the environment and various emotions are triggered.

Psychotropic drugs are usually prescribed by a health professional for the treatment of mental disorders. It should be noted that the dose supplied will depend on the patient in question since they influence here variables such as age, sex, medical history, pre-existing diseases, among others.

Antipsychotics

You already know what a psychotropic drug is, now we will develop what are the most used types of psychotropic drugs. First, we will talk about the group of psychotropic drugs called antipsychotics. As their name indicates, these psychoactive drugs are indicated for the treatment of psychotic pictures since it seeks to control the symptoms that can occur in this type of psychiatric pathologies.

This is done by blocking dopamine and serotonin receptors, neurotransmitters responsible for regulating moods who play a major role in psychotic disorders such as What schizophrenia and paranoia.

Some examples of psychotic drugs are sulpiride, which you can know in detail in our post Sulpiride: what it is, what it is for and side effects; and olanzapine, a drug that our article talks about What is olanzapine for and what side effects does it have.

Now if this medicine produces a decrease in symptoms psychotic drugs, the truth is that, within the mechanisms of action of antipsychotic psychotropic drugs, there are side effects that can occur through ingestion. Next, we will mention the most relevant ones:

  • Lack of motor coordination.
  • Memory loss in certain periods.
  • Excessive sleep
  • Constipation.
  • Dizziness
  • Tremors
  • Weight gain.
Types of psychoactive drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers - Antipsychotics

Anxiolytics.

Another type of psychotropic drug is anxiolytics. These medications are indicated for treatments for anxiety disorders since the chemical components of anxiolytics generate an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, which produces a relaxation in the person who ingests these substances.

This can be reflected in a improved rest at night and in both mental and physical relaxation. However, special attention should be paid to the side effects that are present in the consumption of this psychoactive drug, as we describe in our posts. Trankimazin side effects Y Diazepam: long-term side effects.

Here we will detail the most important adverse effects of anxiolytics:

  • Possibility of generating dependency.
  • Dizziness.
  • Muscular weakness.
  • Difficulty in concentration and attention.
  • Lack of motor coordination.

Antidepressants

Among the different types of psychotropic drugs, antidepressants, as their name indicates, are provided for people who suffer from depressive states or have symptoms consistent with depression. These types of psychiatric medications, like those that have already been developed, have the possibility of produce modifications in certain areas of the brain that are responsible for emotional responses to situations varied.

If we study the mechanisms of action of antidepressant psychotropic drugs, we can say that these drugs are selective inhibitors in the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters responsible for the fight or flight responses to stressful situations. In this post we leave you the information about the Types of antidepressants and what they are for.

But what are the effects of antidepressant psychotropic drugs? Beyond the fact that antidepressants improve the mood of people suffering from depression, they It is true that they also have side effects that must be taken into account when intake. In the following points, we will place the most relevant:

  • Sickness.
  • Weight gain.
  • Weightloss.
  • Difficulty getting to sleep.
  • Tremors.
  • Excessive sweating
  • Sexual problems
  • Low blood pressure
  • Blurry vision.
Types of psychotropic drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers - Antidepressants

Mood stabilizers.

Finally, we will talk about mood stabilizers, another type of psychotropic drug. This class of drugs are used for the treatment of bipolar disorders, which are characterized by marked mood disturbances. Similarly, mood stabilizers are also indicated for treating schizophrenia and depression.

If we emphasize a person with bipolar disorder, it must be taken into account that he can go from a state marked by depressive symptoms to moments of euphoria and exacerbated mania. Mood stabilizers are responsible for the emotional regulation of the people who present these pathologies since their chemical components can alter the way in which the person processes the information that comes from her environment. This is directly related to the emotions you experience in your everyday life.

Although the efficacy of this drug is high, there are some effects of mood stabilizing psychotropic drugs that arise from its administration. Following this cause, we will locate the main side effects:

  • Weight gain.
  • Kidney problems
  • Thyroid problems
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache.
  • Sickness.
  • Dizziness
  • Difficult to focus.
  • Drowsiness.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Stomach ache.

Faced with the adverse effects of all the psychotropic drugs that have been developed in this article, it is suggested that the intake be indicated and controlled by a health professional to evaluate the clinical conditions of each patient taking into account their main characteristics.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of psychotropic drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers, we recommend that you enter our category of Psychopharmaceuticals.

Bibliography

  • World Health Organization. (2009). Pharmacological treatment of mental disorders in primary health care. Recovered from: https://www.who.int/mental_health/management/psychotropic_book_spanish.pdf
  • Pérez Esparza, R. (2017). Pharmacological treatment of depression: current events and future directions. Journal of the UNAM Faculty of Medicine, 60 (5), 7-16.
  • Rivera Arenas, J.A. (2015). Atypical antipsychotics: adverse effects, neuronal survival and neurogenesis. Medical Journal of Costa Rica and Central America LXXII, (615), 339-342.

Types of psychotropic drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers

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Types of psychotropic drugs: what are they, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers

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