Antipsychotic?!
Question: how do antipsychotic medications work? what kind of people are they typically prescribed to?
Answers: Most antipsychotic meds interfere with the dopamine pathways in the brain, so the dopamine produced in the brain has less effect. Excess dopamine is thought to be linked to psychotic thought patterns such as delusional beliefs and thought disorder. In general antipsychotics are given to people who exhibit signs of severe mental illness such as delusions, hallucinations (hearing voices etc) and/or violent behaviour.
Some antipsychotic meds also have a calming or sedative effect at lower doses, and can be given to people who are dangerously agitated (such as after taking certain non-prescription drugs), or in low doses can be used to calm anxiety.
Side effects are frequent and can be severe and long lasting.