Manic depression (bipolar disorder) and anxiety are two psychological conditions recognized by the American Psychological Association. Effective treatment for these mental health disorders often includes psychotherapeutic practices such as behavior and cognitive therapy in conjunction with prescribed medication. These psychotropic medications, designed to directly affect brain chemistry and consequently brain function, are grouped into several categories.
Disorders
Manic depression is a mental illness characterized by intense and at times sudden cyclical changes in mood from the extreme highs of a mania state to the excessive lows of a depressive state, and encompassing a mixed state in which symptoms of mania and depression both are experienced simultaneously. Rather than varying states of the same illness, anxiety is a condition that occurs in several distinct types of disorders, each with its own symptoms. These disorders include panic, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic stress and coinciding phobias.
Mood Stabilizers
Psychotropic medications manage symptoms of manic depression. Different drugs may be used at a given time depending upon what state a patient is experiencing. Lithium, Risperdol, Depakote, Abilify, Tegretol, Seroquel, Zyprexa and Geodon are FDA approved for treating mania. Combining Symbyax and Zyprexa is known to be effective in controlling depressive symptoms, and one study has shown combining Lamictal and Seroquel can be similarly effective. Abilify, Lithium, Zyprexa and Lamictal are often used continuously to delay recurrence of mood cycling.
Acute States
Risperdol, Clozaril, and Zyprexa are atypical anti-psychotics frequently used to treat severe manic episodes, often in combination with anti-convulsant medications such as Neurotin, Topamax, Depakote and Lamictal. When a patient enters into a pervasive depressive state, it is commonplace to prescribe anti-depressant medications typically used to treat standard and generalized depression, such as Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac. Studies have not found conclusive evidence of the efficacy of prescribing anti-depressants for episodic depression as has been determined with using antipsychotics for mania, but the practice is widespread.
Anxiolytics
Benzodiazepines are sedatives that subdue central nervous system function and are subsequently most often prescribed for the management of symptoms related to the several types of anxiety disorders. Examples of this medication class include Xanax, Restoril, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Librium. They have been found most effective for panic disorder and generalized and social anxiety. Antidepressants such as Pamelor, Elavil, Zoloft and Paxil are known to successfully aid in treating obsessive-convulsive disorder among others while monoamine oxidase inhibitors like Nardil and Parnate help post-traumatic stress among other disorders. Buspar, classified an azaspirone, is primarily prescribed for generalized anxiety.
Side Effects
All medications have side effects, but the psychotropic medications used to treat these two psychological conditions are often accompanied by the possibility of effects with drastic consequences. Dry mouth, frequent urination, headache, hair loss, bloating, drowsiness, minor weight gain, nausea, insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems are among minor effects associated with these drugs. Major side effects of consistent use of medications in these classes can include, significant weight gain leading to morbid obesity, dysfunction of the pancreas and liver trouble.
