What are mood regulating drugs?

Currently, regulatory drugs that are clearly used in the treatment of mood disorders in clinical practice mainly include mood stabilizers, targeted antidepressants, and low-dose atypical antipsychotics. Some short-acting anti-anxiety drugs are also used as temporary auxiliary drugs. There is no universal miracle drug that "makes you happy when you eat it" posted online. I have been in the mood disorder clinic for almost five years, and the people I encounter most are kids who have just entered college or Internet practitioners. As soon as they come in, they say, "Doctor, I've been in emo mode lately, can you prescribe some medicine to make me feel better?" Last month, there was a girl in her junior year who woke up early for more than a month and couldn't concentrate in class. She couldn't even focus on her favorite script killing. She was diagnosed with a moderate depressive episode without any suicidal tendencies. Finally, she was prescribed sertraline, which is the most widely used SSRI antidepressant. To put it bluntly, it regulates the concentration of serotonin in the brain that controls emotions. It is like slowly watering a flower that has been dry for a long time. It will take about 10 days at the fastest to feel the change. It is not the kind of drug that will get you high immediately after taking it.

If you encounter a bipolar patient who is on an emotional roller coaster. One moment he feels that he can stay up for a week working on projects without even eating, and the next moment he is lying in bed with no strength to even open his eyes. Ordinary antidepressants should not be prescribed casually, as they may accidentally "push" the person into a manic episode. , at this time, I mainly rely on mood stabilizers. The most classic lithium carbonate has been used for almost 70 years. The effect is really stable, just like adding counterweights to the seesaw swinging on both sides, it will not go up and down. The only trouble is that the therapeutic dose and the poisoning dose are close to each other, so the blood concentration must be checked regularly, and the dose cannot be increased by oneself. Another common misunderstanding is that many people are resistant to antipsychotics when they hear about them, thinking, “I’m not mentally ill, so why are you prescribed this?” In fact, atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine and aripiprazole are not used to treat psychotic symptoms when used in small doses, but to stabilize mood. Whether it is an acute manic episode of bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, which causes emotional breakdown and impulsiveness at every turn, small doses are effective.

Regarding the boundaries of the use of mood-regulating drugs, there have been different opinions in the industry over the years. One group believes that as long as the mood problem is not severe enough, try not to use drugs. After all, no matter what type of mood-regulating drugs there are side effects, either dizziness and nausea when you first take them, or long-term use may lead to weight gain and abnormal metabolism. Mild mood swings can be completely adjusted through exercise, psychological counseling, and adjusting the rhythm of life. There is no need to take drugs.； The other group believes that if the state of low mood and anxiety lasts for more than two weeks and has affected normal eating, sleeping and working, even if it is not severe, low-dose drug intervention can prevent the problem from getting worse and eventually developing into a chronic mood disorder. Of course, there are also those that are temporarily used for emergencies. For example, there was a young salesman who was so panicked that his hands and voice shook every time he met a big customer. He was usually in good condition, but he was anxious in certain situations. So he was prescribed some alprazolam and asked him to take half an hour before meeting the customer. It is a short-acting benzodiazepine anti-anxiety drug. It is like temporarily smoothing the hair of a cat with fried hair. It has a quick effect but cannot be taken for a long time and can easily lead to dependence.

Finally, I would like to say one more thing. All mood-regulating drugs are prescription drugs. The causes of everyone's emotional problems are different. The same is low mood. Some people are caused by hypothyroidism, and some are an emergency response to a recent accident at home. If you just buy medicines after reading what is shared online, it will not only be useless, but may also cause problems. You must seek evaluation by a professional psychiatrist before using it.