Medication

Even if you don’t know how they work (or how they’re prescribed), chances are, you’ve heard about antidepressants. Perhaps you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed yourself—and you’re now wondering how to get antidepressants. Psychiatric providers prescribe antidepressants based on mental health criteria that they’re trained to treat and diagnose. This…

Psychotropic medications sound complicated, but the term refers to any drug that has an effect on the brain. Psychotropic medications come in many different forms, with different usages and modes of functionality.  Even though we might jump straight to pharmaceutical drugs when we hear the word “psychotropic,” the truth is…

Anxiety is a very common mental health issue in the world today, and something that most everyone grapples with at some point in their lives. However, not everyone has problems with anxiety to the point of taking anxiety medication. People with intense feelings of anxiety, such as those characteristic of…

Antidepressants are a widely prescribed class of medication that works to treat the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Two types of antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are some of the most popular. SSRIs and SNRIs both work by increasing the amounts of…

Over 40 million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. And for those who seek treatment, anxiety medication is often the foundation of successful symptom management, alongside therapy. If you’ve been diagnosed with a form of anxiety, or if you think you may have a form of anxiety, you might be curious…

People of all ages can have ADHD, but specific treatment options apply to each age group. For adults, the medications, therapies, and lifestyle adjustments will be different than for adolescents or children. Like other mental health conditions, treatment options will be adapted to fit the needs of the individual.  Some…

The discovery of antidepressants was literally a happy accident. In 1952, scientists were trying to treat tuberculosis with a drug called isoniazid, and their patients became inexplicably euphoric. By the end of the 1950s, almost half a million psychiatric patients were being treated with isoniazid, the world’s first prescription antidepressant. …

According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, cannabis use is growing the fastest among older adults. However, a new study “Qualitative Analysis of Cannabis Use Among Older Adults in Colorado” says that many of these individuals report challenges to getting medical marijuana, including fear of stigma from…

Abilify (or aripiprazole) is an antipsychotic drug that is used to treat a variety of conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Tourette’s disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. This medication is also sometimes used along with other medications to treat depression. Abilify works by restoring the balance balance of neurotransmitters, which…

Zoloft, or sertraline, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat a multitude of mental illnesses, such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. This medication works by restoring a chemical imbalance in the brain and offers many benefits, as it may improve…

Zyprexa (or olanzapine) is an atypical antipsychotic, which is used to treat certain mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is also sometimes used along with another medication to effectively treat depression. Zyprexa works by restoring a chemical imbalance in the brain, which then helps decrease hallucinations, helps…

Cymbalta (or duloxetine) is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), which fixes imbalances of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. It is primarily used to treat depression and anxiety, but may also successfully relieve nerve pain in those with diabetes or ongoing pain due to conditions like arthritis, chronic back pain,…