Medication Guides
Psychiatric Medication Guides
Plain-language guides to 50 common psychiatric medications: what they do, how to take them, and what to watch for.
Browse All 50 Medication Guides
benzodiazepine
Alprazolam (Xanax, Xanax XR)
A fast-acting benzo for panic attacks and severe anxiety. It is used with care and for short periods, since it can be habit-forming.
Read guide →Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
Amitriptyline (Elavil)
A time-tested tricyclic. Today it is used mostly in low doses for nerve pain, migraine and sleep. It also treats depression.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Aripiprazole (Abilify)
A widely used medicine that helps steady mood and thinking. It often causes less weight gain and sleepiness than others like it.
Read guide →non-stimulant ADHD medication (norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor)
Atomoxetine (Strattera)
A once-daily non-stimulant for ADHD that is not a controlled drug and gives steady, round-the-clock coverage after a few weeks.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Brexpiprazole (Rexulti)
A medicine used to boost an antidepressant and to treat schizophrenia. It was made to be easier to take, with less restlessness.
Read guide →Atypical antidepressant (norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor)
Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR)
An energizing antidepressant that does not act on serotonin. It rarely causes sexual side effects or weight gain. It also helps people quit smoking.
Read guide →non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication
Buspirone (BuSpar)
A daily medicine for ongoing anxiety. It eases worry over time, is not habit-forming and rarely makes you sleepy.
Read guide →mood stabilizer / anticonvulsant
Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro)
An established mood stabilizer for mania and mixed episodes. It is known for drug interactions and a gene test for some patients.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Cariprazine (Vraylar)
A newer medicine for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and add-on care for depression. It has a fairly low risk of weight gain.
Read guide →SSRI antidepressant
Citalopram (Celexa)
A simple, well-known SSRI for depression. It is taken once a day and has fairly few drug interactions.
Read guide →benzodiazepine
Clonazepam (Klonopin)
A long-acting benzo for panic disorder. It gives smooth coverage through the day, with less rebound between doses.
Read guide →non-stimulant ADHD medication (alpha-2 agonist)
Clonidine ER (Kapvay)
Kapvay (clonidine ER) is a calming ADHD medicine that is not a stimulant. It eases restless, rash actions and often helps sleep.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Clozapine (Clozaril)
The strongest medicine for schizophrenia that has not gotten better with other drugs. It is used with regular blood tests for safety.
Read guide →SNRI antidepressant
Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
A simple, once-a-day SNRI for depression that usually needs few dose changes.
Read guide →stimulant (methylphenidate)
Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin, Focalin XR)
A refined form of methylphenidate that holds only the active half of the molecule, for ADHD focus at a lower milligram number.
Read guide →benzodiazepine
Diazepam (Valium)
A long-acting benzo for anxiety, muscle spasm and alcohol withdrawal. It starts fast and wears off slowly and gently.
Read guide →mood stabilizer / anticonvulsant
Divalproex sodium (Depakote)
A fast-acting mood stabilizer for mania. Doses are guided by blood levels and checked with liver and blood tests.
Read guide →Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
Doxepin (Silenor, Sinequan)
A flexible tricyclic. Very low doses (Silenor) help people stay asleep. Higher doses treat depression, anxiety and itch.
Read guide →SNRI antidepressant
Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
An SNRI that treats both mood and pain. It is approved for depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia and nerve pain.
Read guide →SSRI antidepressant
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
A gentle SSRI. It is often chosen first for depression and generalized anxiety.
Read guide →non-benzodiazepine sleep medication (Z-drug)
Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
What Lunesta is used for, how it helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, and the warning signs to watch for.
Read guide →SSRI antidepressant
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
The first SSRI in the US. It is long-acting and often energizing. It treats depression, OCD, bulimia, panic and PMDD.
Read guide →SSRI antidepressant
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
An SSRI best known as a first choice for OCD. It eases obsessive thoughts and rituals.
Read guide →non-stimulant ADHD medication (alpha-2A agonist)
Guanfacine ER (Intuniv)
A once-daily non-stimulant that calms hyperactivity, impulsive actions and big emotional reactions, alone or with a stimulant.
Read guide →typical (first-generation) antipsychotic
Haloperidol (Haldol)
A time-tested older medicine that works well for psychosis and severe agitation. It needs a close watch for movement side effects.
Read guide →antihistamine used for anxiety and sleep
Hydroxyzine (Vistaril, Atarax)
A prescription allergy medicine that eases anxiety within about an hour. It is not habit-forming and is often used at bedtime.
Read guide →mood stabilizer / anticonvulsant
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
A mood stabilizer that is easy for most people to take and strong at preventing bipolar depression. It is started slowly to lower rash risk.
Read guide →stimulant (amphetamine prodrug)
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
A smooth, long-acting ADHD stimulant. Your body turns it on slowly, and one dose covers most of the day.
Read guide →mood stabilizer
Lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith)
The gold-standard mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder. It has strong proof for preventing episodes and lowering suicide risk.
Read guide →benzodiazepine
Lorazepam (Ativan)
A benzo for short-term anxiety relief. It lasts longer than Xanax and has fewer drug clashes.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Lurasidone (Latuda)
A newer medicine for schizophrenia and bipolar depression. It is often chosen for its low risk of weight gain.
Read guide →stimulant (methylphenidate)
Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta)
A first-line ADHD stimulant that sharpens focus and curbs impulsive actions within an hour, in short and long-acting forms.
Read guide →Atypical antidepressant (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic)
Mirtazapine (Remeron)
A calming antidepressant that can improve sleep and appetite quickly. It is often used for depression with poor sleep and weight loss.
Read guide →stimulant (amphetamine)
Mixed Amphetamine Salts (Adderall, Adderall XR)
What Adderall and Adderall XR do for ADHD, how the generic amphetamine salt combo works, and the side effects to watch for.
Read guide →Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
A gentler tricyclic for depression, nerve pain and migraine prevention. A blood test can help guide the dose.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
A strong medicine for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It needs close attention to weight and blood sugar.
Read guide →anticonvulsant / mood stabilizer (off-label)
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
A gentler cousin of carbamazepine used off-label for mood. It has fewer drug interactions and needs no routine blood level checks.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Paliperidone (Invega, Invega Sustenna, Invega Trinza)
A medicine for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. It is known for long-acting shots given monthly, every three months or twice a year.
Read guide →SSRI antidepressant
Paroxetine (Paxil)
A strong, calming SSRI for depression and many anxiety conditions. These include panic, social anxiety, OCD and PTSD.
Read guide →alpha-1 blocker
Prazosin (Minipress)
A blood pressure medicine used off-label to quiet PTSD nightmares and help sleep. It often helps within the first few weeks.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Quetiapine (Seroquel, Seroquel XR)
A medicine for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and hard-to-treat depression. It often calms and helps sleep.
Read guide →melatonin receptor agonist sleep medication
Ramelteon (Rozerem)
Rozerem (ramelteon) is a sleep medicine that works through the body clock, is not a controlled drug and is not habit-forming.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Risperidone (Risperdal)
A well-studied medicine used for schizophrenia, bipolar mania and irritability linked to autism.
Read guide →SSRI antidepressant
Sertraline (Zoloft)
A widely prescribed SSRI used for depression, OCD, panic disorder, PTSD, social anxiety and PMDD.
Read guide →Serotonin modulator (SARI) antidepressant
Trazodone (Desyrel)
An older antidepressant. Today it is most often used in small amounts as a gentle sleep aid. It is not habit-forming.
Read guide →SNRI antidepressant
Venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
A strong SNRI for depression and several anxiety disorders. It is often used when an SSRI has not been enough.
Read guide →SSRI and serotonin partial agonist antidepressant
Vilazodone (Viibryd)
A newer antidepressant with two serotonin actions. It must be taken with food to work as intended.
Read guide →Serotonin modulator antidepressant
Vortioxetine (Trintellix)
A newer antidepressant. Research shows it can help focus and thinking speed as well as mood.
Read guide →atypical antipsychotic
Ziprasidone (Geodon)
A medicine for schizophrenia and bipolar mania with one of the lowest weight gain risks of its kind. It must be taken with food.
Read guide →non-benzodiazepine sleep medication (Z-drug)
Zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR)
A fast-acting prescription sleep aid that helps you fall asleep sooner, meant for short-term use at the lowest helpful dose.
Read guide →