Quick pointers for terms you meet on PsychiatryRx medication pages. Each entry is a one-line reading aid. The canonical mental health definitions live on Shrinktionary, the network's language layer.
These entries are one-line reading aids for terms that appear on the medication pages here. The canonical mental health dictionary lives on Shrinktionary, the language layer of The Shrink Network. Each entry below links to the full Shrinktionary definition where one exists.
A medication effect that shows up on many older psych drugs (TCAs, low-potency antipsychotics, some antihistamines) and adds to fall risk and cognitive fog when it stacks. See the anticholinergic burden calculator. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A medication used mainly for depression and many anxiety conditions, usually taking several weeks to reach full effect. Common classes on this site: SSRIs, SNRIs, and atypical antidepressants. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
An older umbrella word for anxiety medications that spans very different drugs, from fast-acting benzodiazepines to daily SSRIs and non-drug options. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Adding a second medication to boost a first one that's only partly working, common in depression care (for example, adding aripiprazole to an SSRI). Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A fast-acting sedative class used for anxiety and panic, usually short-term because of dependence risk. See the benzodiazepines class page. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
The strongest safety warning the FDA puts on a medication label. It flags a serious risk to consider, not a blanket claim the drug is unsafe. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A short, structured, non-drug program that is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. See the guide on over-the-counter and natural sleep aids for how it sits alongside medication options.
A situation where a medication should not be used because the risk is too high. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A drug the DEA regulates more tightly because of misuse or dependence potential, which changes how it can be prescribed and refilled. Many drugs on this site sit in this bucket, notably benzodiazepines and stimulants. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Temporary symptoms that can follow stopping an antidepressant too quickly, usually preventable with a gradual taper. See coming off an antidepressant. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A chemical messenger in the brain involved in motivation, focus, and reward. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
When one substance changes how another works, sometimes silently. See the CYP450 interaction checker and the interactions hub. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
The treatment a clinician usually tries first for a condition, based on effectiveness and safety evidence. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
The brain's main calming (inhibitory) messenger. Several anxiety and sleep medications work by strengthening its effect, including benzodiazepines and Z-drugs. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A condition of persistent, excessive worry across many areas of life, lasting for months. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A medication sold under its chemical name rather than a brand name; same active ingredient, usually much lower price. See generic vs brand name. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
The time it takes for the amount of a medication in the body to drop by half. It shapes dosing frequency and how it feels to stop the drug. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A lower-than-normal sodium level in the blood, an uncommon side effect of some antidepressants, more likely in older adults. See our hyponatremia and SIADH side-effect page.
Ongoing trouble falling or staying asleep that affects how a person feels or functions during the day. See the sleep medications class page. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Staying on a medication after you've gotten better, to keep depression, bipolar disorder, or another condition from coming back. It's the phase where most stopping conversations happen. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor, an older antidepressant class with substantial food and drug interactions that require careful separation from other serotonergic drugs. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
How closely a person actually takes a medication the way it was prescribed. Nearly everyone drifts, and the drift is often the reason a drug appears to have stopped working. See why isn't my medication working?. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A type of sleep medication (for example, ramelteon) that works with the body clock rather than sedating the brain directly.
A medication used mainly in bipolar disorder to even out mood. Examples on this site include lithium and lamotrigine; see the mood stabilizers class page. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor, the class bupropion belongs to. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A chemical messenger involved in alertness, energy, and the body's stress response. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A condition involving intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) done to ease them. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Prescribing a medication for a use the FDA label does not formally list, common and legal when evidence supports it. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A wakefulness-promoting brain chemical (also called hypocretin). Orexin receptor antagonist sleep drugs like suvorexant turn down that wakefulness signal.
A condition of repeated, unexpected panic attacks and ongoing worry about having more of them. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
When the body has adjusted to a medication so that stopping it suddenly causes withdrawal. It can happen with prescribed use and is not the same as addiction. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Taking several psychiatric medications together. It happens for good reasons (a stubborn illness) and bad ones (drift), and the interaction load rises fast. See the CYP450 checker and the Beers criteria checker. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A severe form of premenstrual symptoms with significant mood changes in the days before a period. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Umbrella word for any medication that acts on the brain to affect mood, thinking, or behavior. Everything on this site fits under it. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A change in the heart's electrical rhythm some medications can cause. See our QTc prolongation side-effect page.
The process by which a nerve cell reabsorbs a chemical messenger it has released. Many antidepressants work by slowing reuptake so more of the messenger stays available. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A chemical messenger involved in mood, sleep, appetite, and anxiety. Many antidepressants act on serotonin. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A rare but serious reaction from too much serotonergic activity, usually from drug combinations. See our serotonin syndrome side-effect page. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, a class of antidepressant acting on both serotonin and norepinephrine. See the SNRIs class page. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant, used for depression and many anxiety conditions. See the SSRIs class page. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Reducing a medication's dose in gradual steps rather than stopping all at once, so the body can adjust. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Adjusting a medication's dose up or down gradually to find the amount that works best with the fewest side effects. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
When the body adapts to a medication so the same dose has less effect over time, a particular concern with benzodiazepines. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Depression that has not improved enough after two or more adequate trials of antidepressant treatment. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A deliberate gap between stopping one medication and starting another so the first one has time to clear. It matters most before or after an MAOI. See switching antidepressants. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Symptoms that appear when a medication the body has become dependent on is reduced or stopped. With some medications, withdrawal is serious and needs medical supervision. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
A group of nonbenzodiazepine sleep medications (including zolpidem, eszopiclone, and zaleplon) that act on the same GABA receptor as benzodiazepines but bind more selectively. Full definition on Shrinktionary.
Canonical definitions are rendered from the Shrink Network language layer at shrinktionary.com/concepts.json. Cache last updated 2026-07-14.
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