Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness. Psychiatrists complete the same medical training as physicians and receive an MD and complete three years of residency training and then extra years of fellowship training to specialize in various aspects of psychiatry. For example, child psychiatrists specialize in treatment of children and forensic psychiatrists specialize in the legal aspects of psychiatry. A psychologist is a non-medical professional who is trained in methods of psychological test, psychotherapy, analysis, and research and completes a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or doctor of education (EdD) degree program in a specific field of interest. These specificfields of interest can include clinical psychology, experimental research, and social psychology. Drug Therapy The following are categories of drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders: 1. Antianxiety and anti-panic agents: lessen anxiety, tension, and agitation especially when associated with panic attacks. Examples include benzodiazepines which act rapidly as anti- anxiety agents, sedatives, oranticonvulsants. They also include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These agents prevent the reuptake of serotonin into nerve ending, allowing it to linger in the space between it and the nerve cell. 2. Antidepressants: gradually reverse depressive symptoms and return the patient to a more even state with less persistent and less severe depressive symptoms. Groups of drugs used as antidepressants include: e SSRIs - improve mood, mental concentration, physical activity, and sleep patterns e Atypical antidepressants and serotonin- norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) - modulate twoneurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain e Tricyclic antidepressants - contain three fused rings in their chemical structure and disrupt neurotransmission at the nerve endings e Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors - suppress an enzyme, monoamine oxidase, that normally breaks down neurotransmitters. 3. Anti-obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) agents - prescribed to relieve the symptoms of OCD. Examples are tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs. 4. Antipsychotics - suppress psychotic symptoms and behavior. Atypical antipsychotics are the major examples.They are used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. There are also some first- generation antipsychotics that are still used as well. 5. Mood stabilizers - used primarily to treat patients with mood changes associated with bipolar disorder. Lithium is commonly used to reduce the frequency and severity of manic symptoms. Anticonvulsant drugs are also used as mood stabilizers. 6. Hypnotics - used to produce sleep and relieve insomnia. Examples are sedatives and benzodiazepines. 7. Stimulants - prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and to a lesser extent in adults