Last updated : April 21, 2025
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in five adults in the United States struggle with a mental health condition. Psychotropic drugs are considered an answer to that problem. They affect behavior, mood, thought, and perception. The category encompasses a wide range of medications prescribed to improve a patient’s mental health.
Physicians prescribe these medications hoping to improve the patient’s state of mind enabling them to live normal and productive lives. However, patients are overdosing on these medications with 51,446 overdose deaths listing a psychotropic drug as a contributing factor between the years of 1999 and 2019. During the same period, the total number of psychotropic drug overdoses was 649,697.
This is a serious issue.
What medications are considered psychotropic?
We mentioned there is a broad range of medications encompassed within this category and they include:
- Antidepressants
- Anti-anxiety medications
- Stimulants
- Mood stabilizers
They are all generally taken by mouth but are sometimes given as injections.
Antidepressants
Physicians prescribe antidepressants to combat major depressive disorder (MDD). This common mental health condition leaves the victim feeling sad, worried, and hopeless and affects appetite, sleep, and thoughts. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is treated with these medications as well.
It’s believed that antidepressants increase neurotransmitters and chemicals in the brain, such as noradrenaline and serotonin. The increase improves a person’s mood, which can also disrupt pain signals sent by nerves.
Brand names prescribed include:
- Prozac
- Lexapro
- Zoloft
Common side effects include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Trouble sleeping
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Sexual impotence
- Sweating
Other common antidepressants are prescribed under the brand names of:
- Cymbalta
- Effexor XR
- Pristiq
They include all possible side effects listed above but also include:
- Anxiety
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Dizziness
There are three other antidepressants, known as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) that work by increasing serotonin and norepinephrine levels inside the brain. However, the potential side effects can be dangerous so they are rarely prescribed.
They are:
- Generic amitriptyline
- Pamelor
- Generic imipraminie
The side effects associated include dry mouth, constipation, and sexual impotence just like the rest. In addition, however, are the following:
- Blurry vision
- Drowsiness
- Hypotension, otherwise known as low blood pressure
- Urination problems
- Tachycardia, otherwise known as irregular heartbeat
- Weight gain
Anti-anxiety medications
Some psychotropic medications are designated as being explicitly anti-anxiety medications. Benzodiazepines are one of them. The medication works by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This blocks other messages and controls the rate at which information travels throughout the nervous system.
Moreover, they carry the risk of dependence and addiction.
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Xanax
- Valium
- Ativan
Side effects can include any or all of the following:
- Drowsiness
- Concentration problems
- Memory loss
- Impaired coordination
- Double vision
- Muscle weakness
- Vertigo
Antipsychotics
This group of pharmaceutical medications is used to treat conditions involving psychosis which is the inability to distinguish what is real and what is not accurate. These drugs work by blocking some of the dopamine receptors in the brain, thereby reducing the flow of messages. This, in turn, can reduce psychotic-type symptoms.
Often prescribed to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, common brands include:
- Adasuve
- Haldol
- Clozaril
- Zyprexa
- Fanapt
Common side effects associated with these drugs include:
- Drooling
- Sedation
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Weight gain
- Sexual impotence
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Increased cholesterol
- Increased blood sugar
- Constipation
Stimulants
Used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, stimulants increase energy, alertness, and attention. They affect the brain chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine. Classed as Schedule 2 on the DEA’s Controlled Substances List, these drugs have a high risk of abuse and dependence.
Widely prescribed for ADHD, common brand names include:
- Adderall
- Concerta extended-release
- Ritalin
Common side effects include:
- Tachycardia
- Heart palpitations
- Headache
- Trouble sleeping
- Anxiety
- Potential for stunted growth in children
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Reduced appetite
- Excess sweating
Mood stabilizers
Physicians prescribe mood stabilizers to treat bipolar disorder. How they work is still a bit of a mystery, but it’s believed that the affect neurotransmitters in the brain that may be involved in causing mood swings.
Lithium is by far the most commonly prescribed mood stabilizer. But Depakote, another mood stabilizer, has also been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Side effects can include any or all of the following:
- Bodily tremors
- Nausea
- Impaired thinking
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Slurred speech
- Vomiting
The statistics make sense
With one in five American adults reportedly suffering from some form of mental health issue, it’s no wonder that the number of overdoses contributed to psychotropic drugs is on the rise if doctors are frequently prescribing them. Because several of the medications put the user at high risk of forming an addiction to the drug, there are bound to be those who misuse it. And “too much of a good thing” can sometimes lead to a disastrous outcome.
We need to keep educating patients—and the public at large—about the risks involved when using these types of drugs.
They don’t offer a cure but provide patients with a means of coping. It could be that continued research may reveal that there is an actual cure for mental health issues—perhaps it won’t include taking drugs at all.
Wouldn’t that be something?
