One in five people in the US struggle with a mental illness. Women anxiety disorder is nearly 40% more likely than men to develop depression. More startling is that more women are more likely to take prescription drugs for psychiatric disorders than men.

The good news is that medications can play a role in treating women anxiety disorder. While psychiatric medications don’t cure mental illness, they can often significantly alleviate symptoms. Psychiatric medications can also augment other treatments’ effects, such as psychotherapy more effective.

The best medications for you, however, will depend on your medical situation and how your body responds to the medication. Read on for the top 5 mental health drugs for women anxiety disorder with psychiatric needs. 

1. Antidepressants

So, what are antidepressants? They are medications commonly used to treat depression. Antidepressants are also prescribed for other health conditions like insomnia anxiety, and pain.

There has been a 29% increase in antidepressant use among women with psychiatric disorders since 2001. The most popular variety of antidepressants are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Some of the most used SSRIs include citalopram escitalopram sertraline, fluoxetine, and paroxetine.

SSRIs antidepressant drugs work by gradually increasing the amount of serotonin which is a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a huge role in maintaining mood balance.

Other commonly used antidepressant drugs are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

These drugs work by slowly increasing the levels of norepinephrine in the brain.

SNRIs help to relieve depression by effecting changes in brain chemistry and communication in brain nerve cell circuitry found to regulate mood.

Another approved antidepressant drug commonly used is bupropion. Though it works differently from SNRIs and SSRIs, bupropion is effective in treating depression and seasonal affective disorder.

It improves your moods and feelings of well-being by restoring the balance of neurotransmitters in your brain.

The older antidepressant drugs include tetracyclic, tricyclics, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Unlike older antidepressant drugs, SSRIs, SNRIs, and bupropion medications don’t cause many side effects.

This is the reason why they are commonly used by a larger group of depressive and anxiety disorders.

2. Anti-Anxiety Medications

This class of antidepressant drugs helps alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. Women use these mental illness drugs at almost double the rate seen by men. These medications are effective in the treatment of a variety of chronic and acute anxiety conditions.

Benzodiazepine drugs are the most common among anti-anxiety medications. They are great second-line treatments in the treatment of panic disorders or social phobia (social anxiety disorder).

Anti-anxiety drugs such as lorazepam are used to treat the short-term symptoms of panic disorders and anxiety. Beta-blockers help ease physical symptoms of anxiety that you may experience in difficult situations.

Taking these drugs for a short period can help you maintain physical symptoms and reduce acute anxiety.

Buspirone medications, on the other hand, are used for the long-term treatment of chronic anxiety. To reach its full effect you’re required to take them every day for a few weeks. They are however not useful in treating anxiety on an “as-needed basis.

3. Stimulants

Stimulants are also commonly used mental illness medications. Stimulants are prescribed to treat mental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Stimulant treatment helps to maintain optimal levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the central nervous system. Maintaining proper levels of neurotransmitters in the brain helps to reduce impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention.

Some of the commonly prescribed stimulants include amphetamine lisdexamfetamine dexmethylphenidate, methylphenidate, and dextroamphetamine.

Other FDA-approved class of drugs for ADHD treatment includes alpha agonists and atomoxetine. Some examples of alpha agonist medications include guanfacine(Intuniv) and clonidine (Catapres).

Stimulants mental health medications are also prescribed to treat occasionally depression, especially in older people, patients with chronic diseases, and patients that haven’t responded to other treatments.

4. Antipsychotics

The number of adults using antipsychotic medications has dramatically increased since 2001. These common psychiatric medications are mainly used to manage psychotic disorders.

These are conditions that affect your mind, where thinking can be irrational, delusions (false fixed beliefs) or hallucinations.

Psychotic issues can result from a mental illness such as schizophrenia severe depression or bipolar disorder.

Antipsychotic medicines work by helping relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life. They are usually classified into two broad categories including typical and atypical antipsychotics.

The typical antipsychotic is older antipsychotic medications. Some of the commonly used include:

  • Chlorpromazine
  • Molindone
  • Haloperidol
  • Thiothixene
  • Perphenazine
  • Fluphenazine
  • Loxapine

Atypical antipsychotics, on the other hand, are the newer medications and they include-

  • Risperidone
  • Olanzapine
  • Quetiapine
  • Ziprasidone
  • Aripiprazole
  • Paliperidone
  • Lurasidone
Both typical and atypical antipsychotics are used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia symptoms.
 

Some atypical antipsychotics are used for treating bipolar depression or depression that hasn’t responded to other mental health medications such as antidepressants alone.

They are also more effective when used with other medications to treat mental health conditions, delirium, and dementia.

5. Mood Stabilizers

This class of psychiatric medications is commonly prescribed to help people experiencing intense and repeated mood swings.

This is a condition common in people with bipolar disorder, borderline personality, and schizophrenia.

They can also help to augment the effect of other medications used to treat mental illness. Most anticonvulsant drugs are also prescribed as mood stabilizers.  Some of the common mood stabilizers include-

  • Oxcarbazepine
  • Lithium
  • Valproate
  • Carbamazepine
  • Lamotrigine

Not sure how much your mental health prescription drug costs? Search here and compare the prices from licensed pharmacies online.

Beyond Mental Health Drugs

Coping with a mental condition can be challenging. However, mental health drugs can help you alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life.

That’s why you should consider working with your medical provider in deciding the best treatment. You also need a prescription from a health practitioner for you to legally purchase psychotropic medication.

 

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