By Cassandra Senior

Psychiatric medications are considered to be psychoactive because they work on the central nervous system and affect the way the brain functions. They are used to treat mental disorders and almost all have synthetic chemical make-up. To get one of these drugs, a prescription is needed from a doctor. Each year pharmaceutical companies spend billions on developing new psychiatric drugs. There are six different kinds, which are explained below.

• 1. Antidepressants (Zoloft, Prozac, Cymbalta): These drugs treat conditions such as depression, eating disorders and borderline personality disorder. Most work by slowing the speed at which the brain metabolizes serotonin or norepinephrine. Those chemicals are considered "feel good" chemicals because when metabolized at the correct rate, they give the patient a sense of well-being and high self-esteem. The downside of these drugs is that they take 3-5 weeks to create a noticeable effect.
• 2. Stimulants (Adderall, Focalin, Concerta): Stimulants are used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder and narcolepsy. They can also be used as a weight management drug as they suppress the appetite. They are some of the most widely prescribed drugs today. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most addictive and abused. One of the drugs, Adderall, gained notoriety recently as a large number of teens and twenty-somethings were purchasing them from other students to aid them in staying up and studying.
• 3. Antipsychotics (Seroquel, Geodon, Thorizine): Created to treat mania and schizophrenia, antipsychotics are also prescribed as a mood stabilizer for bipolar. Some drugs in this class are considered to be very strong tranquilizers, and many, including Seroquel, are prescribed to help patients who also have sleep disorders.
• 4. Mood Stabilizers (Lithium, Depakote): These are mainly used to treat bipolar, however, many are actually anticonvulsants and can also be used to treat nerve pain. Their job is to do exactly what their name says-stabilize the moods of people with bipolar who fluctuate between high highs and low lows constantly. Unfortunately, they are really only good at keeping the patient out of mania; they don't work so well for depression.
• 5. Anxiolytics (Valium, Xanax, Librium): Anxiolytics treat anxiety disorders. Barbiturates were the first in this class, but the benzodiazepines were created as what was thought to be a safer version. However, what was created to be used for only a two week period began to be prescribed for people to use for months and years. Benzodiazepines are highly addictive and in the brain, mimic alcohol. When getting off of these after long-time use, one must detoxify themselves just as is needed with an alcoholic. While detoxing, there is a high risk for seizure.
• 6. Depressants (Ambien, Lunesta): These are used as sedatives and hypnotics. After being out for awhile, drug manufacturers realized that people under the influence of these drugs may do strange things. Reports exist claiming people had conversations, walked around and even drove their cars without remembering.