Antipsychotic drugs were formerly called major tranquilizers. Antipsychotic drugs are normally used to treat psychotic conditions.
THESE DRUGS SHOULD NOT BE USED TO TREAT UNCOMPLICATED ANXIETY.
Phenothiazines are used for the treatment of schizophrenic symptoms. Phenothiazines are the primary drug type used to treat schizophrenic like symptoms in the elderly. This group of drugs are dopamine receptor blocking.
Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat psychosis, a severe mental illness in which people lose touch with reality. People with psychosis may hear voices, see things that aren't really there, and have strange or untrue thoughts, such as believing that other people can hear their thoughts or are trying to harm them. They may also neglect their appearances and may stop talking or talk only "nonsense."Some antipsychotic drugs also are used to treat other mental and emotional conditions, such as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness). People with this condition have extreme mood swings, ranging from a highly excited state -- sometimes with a false sense of well-being -- to depression.Antipsychotic drugs do not cure mental illness, but can reduce some of the symptoms or make them milder. The medicine may improve symptoms enough for the person to undergo counseling and live a more normal life.
The type of antipsychotic medicine prescribed depends on the type of mental problem the patient has. For example, lithium is used to even out the high and low mood swings that people with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) experience. Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) quiets the imaginary voices that some people with schizophrenia hear.
Antipsychotic drugs are also known as neuroleptics or major tranquilizers. Several types of these drugs are available, such as haloperidol (Haldol), lithium (Lithonate), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), and thioridazine (Mellaril). The newer antipsychotics include risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel) and olanzapine (Zyprexa). These medicines are available only with a physician's prescription.
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