What are antidepressants?
Antidepressants are medications used to treat depression, as well as other health conditions, such as anxiety, pain , and insomnia .
Commonly prescribed types of antidepressants are:
-Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
-Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
-Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
These medications are associated with fewer side effects than older antidepressants, like upset stomach, headache, or nausea. The side effects are generally mild and tend to go away with time.
Antidepressants take time—usually 2-4 weeks—to work, and problems with sleep, appetite, energy, and concentration often improve before mood lifts, however improvement can be seen as early as 5-7 days.
Esketamine is an FDA-approved medication for treatment-resistant depression.
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What are anti-anxiety medications?
Anti-anxiety medications help reduce symptoms of anxiety, such as panic attacks and extreme fear and worry.
Many medications used to treat depression—including SSRIs and SNRIs—may also be used to treat anxiety.
Benzodiazepines and beta-blockers are useful as needed to reduce severe anxiety in the short-term. However, taking benzodiazepines over long periods may lead to drug tolerance or even dependence. To avoid these problems, health care providers usually prescribe benzodiazepines for short periods and taper them slowly to reduce the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms or renewed anxiety symptoms. Beta-blockers generally are not recommended for people with asthma or diabetes because they may worsen the symptoms of both conditions.
Buspirone is a different type of anti-anxiety medication that can be used to treat anxiety over longer periods. In contrast to benzodiazepines, buspirone is relatively safe and must be taken every day for 3−4 weeks to reach its full effect, and it is not effective for treating anxiety on an as-needed basis.
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What are stimulants?
Health care providers may prescribe stimulant medications to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy . Stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy.
Prescription stimulants improve alertness and focus for most people, regardless of diagnosis. As such, stimulant medications can be helpful for adults, as well as for children and adolescents, with ADHD.
Some parents worry that stimulants may lead to misuse or dependence, but evidence shows this is unlikely when the medications are used as prescribed.
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What are antipsychotics?
Antipsychotic medications are typically used to treat psychosis, a condition that involves some loss of contact with reality. People experiencing a psychotic episode often experience delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations. Psychosis can be related to drug use or a mental disorder such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression (also known as psychotic depression).
Health care providers may also prescribe antipsychotics in combination with other medications to relieve symptoms of delirium , dementia , or other mental health conditions that are more common in older adults.
Some symptoms, such as agitation and hallucinations, typically go away within days of starting antipsychotic medication. Other symptoms, such as delusions, usually go away within a few weeks.
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What are Mood stabilizers?
Mood stabilizers are typically used to treat bipolar disorder and mood changes associated with other mental disorders. In some cases, health care providers may prescribe mood stabilizers to augment the effect of other medications used to treat depression.
What Medications are Used in Addiction Treatment?
Addiction is a chronic, lifelong condition that can completely disrupt a person’s life. Because addiction is such a chronic and serious disease, treating the disorder requires a holistic, integrated, and multi-pronged approach from a team of qualified medical professionals and therapists.
Therapy, both group and individual, and aftercare support are adequate for addressing the root causes of addiction, and the various mental and emotional issues that trigger drug abuse.
Using prescription medications during the detox and rehab timeline can also significantly reduce a person’s chances of relapse, and medications can even reverse, prevent, and lessen the severity of withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, psychiatric medications are also needed to alleviate symptoms that can trigger drug or alcohol use in vulnerable patients. While medications can come with certain risks of their own, using them to treat addiction is still a highly effective way to help patients through the often painful withdrawal process and avoid relapse.
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Why do people often need medical assistance for detox and withdrawal?
Drugs and alcohol will rewire the brain’s risk and reward neural pathways. When someone starts abusing a substance, the chemical compounds in the drug will directly impact the way the brain functions. In substance use disorder, a person’s body and brain have become so used to having the substance, that the person is unable to function without it. When someone stops taking drugs or alcohol when they are dependent and addicted, they will experience a range of painful and distressing withdrawal symptoms as their body attempts to rid itself of toxins and return to a natural state of equilibrium.
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Medications Used in Treating Addiction
Withdrawal symptoms can be both psychologically and physically distressing. In severe cases, withdrawals can also be dangerous. For example, people who have been addicted to alcohol for a long time may experience a condition called delirium tremens, or DT, when they attempt to quit drinking. DT is a seizure disorder that can be life-threatening. Also, painful withdrawal symptoms can influence someone to retake drugs or start taking a replacement drug to get some relief from their pain.
When it comes to using medications to treat drug addiction, medicines can do several things to help someone achieve and maintain sobriety. The exact way that prescription medications work to influence the withdrawal and detox process can vary significantly. But in all, these medications are used to either target and treat precise detox symptoms, or to prevent cravings for drugs. Some medicines may also be used to counteract the high from a medication. The medications are intended to help restore the body’s natural equilibrium and give patients relief from distressing and painful withdrawal symptoms that can increase their chances of relapsing or experiencing other dangerous issues, like delirium tremens.
When it comes to treating drug abuse and addiction, many people are understandably fearful of the pain they will feel when they attempt to detox from drugs. Knowing that a rehab center uses medications to treat and address symptoms can positively impact someone to seek treatment and achieve sobriety.
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Medications that are commonly used to treat addiction include the following:
Naltrexone or Vivitrol
Buprenorphine, Suboxone, and Methadone
Disulfiram or Antabuse
Acamprosate or Campral
Modafinil or Provigil
Bupropion or Wellbutrin/Zyban
Gabapentin or Neurontin
Mirtazapine or Remeron
Topiramate or Topamax
Baclofen or Lioresal
Vigabatrin or Sabril
Some of the most well-known medications that are used during addiction treatment are Naltrexone or Buprenorphine. These prescriptions are an integral part of the fight against opioid addiction and abuse. Drugs like opioids are some of the most addictive in existence. Treatment can be especially tricky for recovering addicts because opioid withdrawals come with long-term and severe cravings to use.