Psychiatric Medications
What each group of medicines does, how long it takes, what to expect early on, and when to contact your prescriber.
- What is here
- Plain explanations by medication group, with sources.
- What is not here
- Doses. Your prescription instructions and the leaflet supplied with your medicine take precedence.
- Prescribed at Ridge Way
- In person in Sugar Hill and by telehealth across Georgia.
By Medication Group
Antidepressants
SSRIs, SNRIs and others. Used for depression, anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD, and first-line for most of them.
ADHD medication
Stimulant and non-stimulant options, how they differ, and how quickly you know whether one is working.
Mood stabilizers
Lithium, lamotrigine and valproate. Used in bipolar disorder, and several require periodic blood tests.
Antipsychotics
Used in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and sometimes alongside an antidepressant where that alone is not enough.
Sleep medication
What has evidence for longer-term use and what does not, which is a shorter list than most people expect.
Alcohol use medication
Naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram are the three FDA-approved options. None is a controlled substance, and they are prescribed to a small fraction of the people who could be offered them.3
What We Do Not Prescribe
Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam, lorazepam and clonazepam. Buprenorphine and anything else for opioid use disorder.
Both are clinical decisions rather than licensing ones, and both are explained in full on our scope of care page rather than discovered at an appointment. Long-acting injectable antipsychotics are also not offered here; where one is the right option we will say so and refer you.
How Prescribing Works Here
An evaluation comes first. What you have taken before, what helped, what did not, and what you are willing to live with all shape the choice, and two people with the same diagnosis frequently need different medicines.
Follow-up is usually every four to six weeks while a medicine is being established, then less often once things settle. Lab orders are sent to a facility near you rather than to our office, so telehealth patients are not disadvantaged. See how medication management works.
This Is Information, Not Advice
Nothing here accounts for your history, what else you take, or what is actually going on. That is precisely why an evaluation exists.
Never start, stop or change a dose based on something you read. Several psychiatric medicines are dangerous to stop suddenly.
If you need help now. Contact your prescriber the same day if thoughts of self-harm begin or worsen, or if mood or behavior changes sharply after starting or changing a medicine. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
Ridge Way is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988, any time, or call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at 1-800-715-4225. Crisis resources.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Health Medications. Accessed September 2026.
- National Library of Medicine. DailyMed, FDA prescribing information. Accessed September 2026.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Recommend Evidence-Based Treatment: Know the Options. Accessed September 2026.
Questions About Your Medication? Let’s Talk
Whether you’re starting treatment or unsure the medicine you’re on is right, an appointment is where you get answers about your own situation. Book in person or online.