Psychotropic Medications

In general, the term psychotropic medication is interchangeable with the terms psychoactive and/or psychotherapeutic medications, since all three terms are used to describe chemical elements that work principally on the central nervous system. In all cases, these medications change one's perception of time, awareness of external reality, and behavior. While the drugs were created for specific purposes, they are used frequently as a means of recreation.

Since psychotropics cause an individual to experience changes in perception and frame of mind, which are often seen as enjoyable, many psychotropics are misused, as people can tend to take more than they should, regardless of the potential dangers. With continued abuse, the individual could develop a physical dependency on the drug, making it harder to stop. Drug rehabilitation often necessitates a mixture of counseling, support groups, and other psychotropics, such as methadone, to sever the person's dependency.

Specific types of psychotropic medications include antidepressants: a type of medication used primarily for the treatment of depressive disorders such as [Page 1185]major depression, dysthymic disorder, nervousness, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, as well as borderline personality disorder; Stimulants: medicine prescribed principally to take care of disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD; Antipsychotics: used to help deal with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia; Mood stabilizers: frequently prescribed to treat either bipolar disorder and/or schizoaffective disorder, which is a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; anxiolytics: usually prescribed to treat problems with nervousness and/or phobias; and depressants: primarily prescribed as a sedative or hypnotic.