Psychotropic drugs affect the central nervous system.
A psychotropic drug is a chemical substance that exerts a certain influence on the processes of the mind . These agents affect the central nervous system and can modify everything from consciousness to behavior, including perception.
Psychotropic drugs are used as medications since, due to their characteristics, they are able to change a patient's mood or mitigate the pain caused by an illness, disorder or some type of illness.
Addiction to psychotropic drugs
It is important to note that, in some cases, the misuse of psychotropic drugs can cause addiction . When the subject uses a psychotropic drug with recreational intent and cannot avoid consuming it due to the need that the substance generates in his or her body, he or she will have become an individual dependent on the psychotropic drug in question.
Some psychotropic drugs are illegal because their therapeutic effects are not recognized and, therefore, their use is always harmful. Others, however, are sold legally for the development of a therapy . In these cases, psychotropic drugs are prescribed by a medical professional.
This does not prevent a legally sold psychotropic drug from being used improperly by a person. If a doctor instructs a patient to take a dose of psychotropic drug
Anxiolytics such as clonazepam , antidepressants such as fluoxetine and antipsychotics such as chlorpromazine are some examples of psychotropic drugs prescribed by doctors within the framework of certain treatments.
Addiction to psychotropic drugs can be lethal.
Classification according to type
It is important to know that psychotropic drugs can be classified into four large groups:
- Antidepressants . As their name indicates, they are primarily used to treat depression, although they are also often used to therapeutically address other series of situations such as addictive disorders.
- Sedatives . Inducing sleep, among other things, is what is achieved with these psychotropic drugs, which include barbiturates.
- Major tranquilizers . Those who suffer from psychosis of significant severity, as would be the case of psychosis, are those who take this type of psychotropic drugs, since they have a function against hallucinations.
- Minor tranquilizers . Anxiolytics are also known as these drugs, which relax the muscles of those who take them and thus help them to be calmer and even help them fall asleep. In our current society, there are many people who admit to taking them and a high percentage does so by abusing them and without any type of control.
Other types of psychotropic drugs
That is the most general classification. However, it must be said that if one wanted to group or order these psychotropic drugs solely taking into account their therapeutic action, the following groups would be obtained:
- Psychostimulants are used to treat both narcolepsy and hyperactivity .
- Antipsychotics.
- Anti-dementia.
- Antiagarophobics, to address the problem of agoraphobia.
- Social antiphobia.
- Antidepressants.
- Anorectic.
- Antipanic.
- Anxiolytics.
- Anti Post Traumatic Stress.
- Anti-impulsive.
- Mood stabilizers.
- Antiobsessive-compulsive drugs.
- Hypnotics, which are used when addressing insomnia problems.