In this article, we will describe what is the best medication for mental health problems. We will go through depression, anxiety and other illnesses.
When treating depression, several drug options are available. Some of the most commonly used include:
Note 1. Remember that medications usually take 4 to 6 weeks to become fully effective. And if one drug does not work, there are many others to try.
Note 2. If you decide to stop taking your antidepressants, it is important that you gradually reduce the dose over a period of several weeks
Antipsychotics are a class of drugs used commonly to treat psychotic disorders – conditions in which thinking can be irrational, and people have false beliefs (delusions) or perceptions (hallucinations) – and sometimes to treat mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or major depression. There are two main groups.
The typical, or conventional, antipsychotics were first developed in the 1950s. Haloperidol and chlorpromazine are the best known typical antipsychotics. They continue to be useful in the treatment of severe psychosis and behavioural problems when newer medications are ineffective. However, these medications do have a high risk of side effects including difficulties with movement, shaking and sedation.
Common ones include: chlorpromazine, haloperidol, zuclopenthixol, flupentixol, and trifluoperazine. Others include: loxapine, levomepromazine, fluphenazine, penfluridol, pimozide, sulpiride and prochlorperazine.
These medications were introduced later with many approved for use in the 1980s. These medications are less likely to produce extrapyramidal effects (physical symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and abnormal movements) than typical (first generation) antipsychotics.
They include: aripiprazole, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, clozapine. Others include: paliperidone, cariprazine, lurasidone, ziprasidone and amisulpride.
We have described what is the best medication for mental health problems. We hope it has been helpful.