Substances used in the control and relief of depression, anxiety and related states include anti depressants, anti Parkinsonian drugs, hypnotics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, sedatives and tranquillizers, each with both chemical (generic) names and trade names. They were all evolved by research chemists who sometimes have taken up to ten years of research and experimentation to develop them.

These modern therapeutic drugs are, when suitably prescribed, effective and powerful substances. They very often shorten depressions and reduce anxieties and give the patient a chance to profit from self examination and from psychotherapeutic help.

DO NOT practise self medication. Consult your doctor, and tell him of any unsusual side effects that you are likely to have. Most helpful and potent preparations have some side effeects, some causing drowsiness, especially at first. In addition, the effects of many treatments are made stronger by alcohol. You should be careful about mixing different types of prescribed drugs, and women should be especially cautious about medication in the first three months of pregnancy.

Often, if a therapeutic substance suits one member of a family, it suits others in the same group. However, many people are needlessly afraid of legitimate and potentially helpful treatments, and the solution then is first to treat their fear. There are well over 100 preparations, so only the broad characteristics of the most common kinds are described here.