Mental Health Medications

This category covers medicines for serious psychiatric conditions: antipsychotics that ease psychosis and mania, and anxiolytics that calm severe anxiety. They act on brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin, and a single drug often serves several uses.

These medicines treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic episode, acute psychosis, anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, pruritus and urticaria.

Key points

Antipsychotics target hallucinations, delusions and manic episodes, while anxiolytics are reserved for anxiety severe enough to need more than lifestyle measures.
Older and newer antipsychotics differ mainly in side-effect profile rather than in how well they control symptoms, and one drug often serves several diagnoses.
Because these drugs act on brain chemistry, stopping them abruptly after long-term use can trigger relapse or withdrawal, so any change is planned gradually.

Medicines in the Mental Health category

Seroquel

Quetiapine

25 · 50 · 100 · 200 · 300mg

Developed to support mental stability and indicated to manage symptoms of psychiatric disorders.

Abilify

Aripiprazole

5 · 10 · 15 · 20 · 30mg

Balances brain dopamine and serotonin levels to stabilize mood and manage complex psychiatric symptoms.

Risperdal

Risperidone

1 · 2 · 3 · 4mg

Designed to address severe mental health conditions, this medicine is indicated to support neurological balance and intended to help manage mood stability.

Zyprexa

Olanzapine

2.5 · 5 · 7.5 · 10 · 15 · 20mg

Indicated to manage schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and to support long-term symptom stability regarding mood regulation.

Atarax

Hydroxyzine

10 · 25mg

Developed to address anxiety and skin-related allergic responses indicated to alleviate discomfort.

Buspar

Buspirone

5 · 10mg

Utilized to alleviate symptoms of generalised anxiety, this anxiolytic agent is designed to support mood regulation without significant sedative side effects.

Latuda

Lurasidone

40 · 80mg

Developed for schizophrenia, intended to target dopamine and serotonin receptors to alleviate auditory hallucinations and support improved cognitive function in patients.

Risnia

Risperidone

2mg

Developed to mitigate psychiatric symptoms and to support stabilisation of mood in psychotic disorders.

Haldol

Haloperidol

10mg

Intended to support stable mental health, this treatment is designed to mitigate hallucinations and agitation in severe psychological conditions.

Lithium Tablets

Lithium

300mg

Intended to target mood instability and developed to manage the symptoms of bipolar disorder effectively.

Geodon

Ziprasidone

20 · 40 · 80mg

Formulated to target dopamine and serotonin receptors, intended to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder effectively.

Loxitane

Loxapine

10 · 25mg

This medication is formulated to target schizophrenia symptoms and is intended to alleviate cognitive and behavioural disturbances in patients.

Thorazine

Chlorpromazine

50 · 100mg

Intended to address severe psychiatric symptoms by modulating dopaminergic pathways in the brain.

What’s in this category

Antipsychotics such as risperidone, olanzapine, aripiprazole and ziprasidone ease hallucinations, delusions and mania.
Older antipsychotics such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine treat acute psychosis and agitation.
Anxiolytics such as buspirone for anxiety, and hydroxyzine, which also settles itch.

UK status

Every antipsychotic and anxiolytic here is prescription-only (POM), started and monitored by a clinician with checks on weight, blood sugar and heart rhythm. None sell over the counter. Stopping suddenly after long-term use risks relapse and withdrawal, so changes are planned. Thoughts of self-harm, a mental health crisis, or signs of overdose need urgent help. Call 111, or 999 in an emergency.