Child and Adolescent Mental Illnesses FAQ - Medications for Child and Adolescent Mental Illnesses

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

Examples of traditional antipsychotic medications include: Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), Thioridazine (Mellaril), Fluphenazine (Prolixin), Trifluoperazine (Stelazine), Thiothixene (Navane), and Haloperidol (Haldol).

Newer antipsychotic medications (also known as atypical or novel) include: Clozapine (Clozaril), Risperidone (Risperdal), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Olanzapine (Zyprexa), and Ziprasidone (Zeldox).

1. Mood Stabilizers and Anticonvulsant Medications

   Mood stabilizers may be helpful in treating manic depressive episodes, excessive mood swings, aggressive behavior, impulse control disorders and severe mood symptoms in schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia.

   1. Lithium (lithium carbonate, Eskalith) is an example of a mood stabilizer.
   2. Some anticonvulsant medications can also help control severe mood changes, such as Valproic Acid (Depakote, Depakene), Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Gabapentin (Neurontin), and Lamotrigine (Lamictil).

1. Anti-anxiety Medications

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   Anti-anxiety medications may be helpful in the treatment of severe anxiety. There are several types of anti-anxiety medications:

   1. Benzodiazepines, such as Alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), Diazepam (Valium), and Clonazepam (Klonopin).
   2. Antihistamines, which include: Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and Hydroxizine (Vistaril).
   3. Atypical anti-anxiety medications, which include: Buspirone (BuSpar), and Zolpidem (Ambien).

When prescribed appropriately by an experienced psychiatrist (preferably a child and adolescent psychiatrist) and taken as directed, medication may reduce or eliminate troubling symptoms and improve daily functioning of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders.

1. Sleep Medications

   A variety of medications may be used for a short period to help with sleep problems.

   Examples include: SRI anti-depressants, Trazodone (Desyrel), Zolpidem (Ambien), and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

2. Miscellaneous Medications

   Other medications are also being used to treat a variety of symptoms. For example, clonidine (Catapres) may be used to treat the severe impulsiveness in some children with ADHD and guanfacine (Tenex) for "flashbacks" in children with PTSD.

Sources:

• California Dept. of Mental Health
• Mental Health Association in Hawaii

next: Guide to Treatment for Children With Mental Health Needs