Medication is frequently used alone or in conjunction with other services like psychotherapy to stabilize and/or eliminate the symptoms that accompany psychiatric disorders. Sunny Hills Behavioral Health’s psychiatrists and nurse practitioners oversee medical treatment of psychiatric disorders.

The psychiatrist or nurse practitioner on our treatment team can prescribe, discontinue or adjust medications. It is important to collaborate with your provider by discussing symptom changes, side effects or by asking questions that will lead to safe and effective utilization of medication.

Types of Psychiatric Medications

• Anti-Anxiety Medications: These medications help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, such as panic attacks, or extreme fear and worry. The most common anti-anxiety medications are called benzodiazepines.
• Antidepressants: Commonly used to treat depression, antidepressants can be used to treat other health conditions, including anxiety, pain and insomnia. The most popular types of antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
• Antipsychotics: Antipsychotic medicines are primarily used to manage conditions that affect the mind, and in which there has been some loss of contact with reality, often including delusions or hallucinations. Antipsychotic medications are often used in combination with other medications to treat delirium, dementia and other mental health conditions.
• Mood Stabilizers: Mood stabilizers work by decreasing abnormal activity in the brain and are used primarily to treat bipolar disorder, mood swings associated with other mental disorders.
• Stimulants: Often prescribed to treat children, adolescents or adults diagnosed with ADHD, stimulants increase alertness, attention and energy. Stimulants also elevate blood pressure, heart rate and respiration.

If you have come to the decision with your provider to use any of these or other psychiatric medications, be sure that you:

• Tell the provider about all medications and vitamin supplements you are already taking
• Remind your provider about any allergies and any problems you have had with medicines.
• Understand how to take the medicine before you start using it and take your medicine as instructed.
• Don’t take medicines prescribed for another person or give yours to someone else.

Call your doctor right away if you have any problems with your medicine or if you are worried that it might be doing more harm than good. Your doctor may be able to adjust the dose or change your prescription to a different one that may work better for you.