

The features of an antidepressant overdose depend on the type of antidepressant. For example, many of the atypical antipsychotics are often used in the management of insomnia. The word “antipsychotics” is somewhat of a misnomer, however, as these drugs are used in the treatment of many conditions besides simply acute psychosis.

The two major classes of psychiatric medications that will be discussed in this chapter are the antipsychotics and antidepressants. Many anticonvulsants are also used as mood stabilizers these are discussed separately, as is lithium. Psychiatric medications can be divided into several general categories, including the antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers. Description of the problemĪs psychiatric illness becomes better recognized and treated, the number of prescriptions for psychiatric medications has substantially increased.
