Psychotherapeutic medications have been used to treat mental illness for centuries. In the 1940s-1950s, early treatments included marijuana, amphetamines, insulin shock therapy, and electroshock therapy. In 1949, lithium was discovered and became one of the first psychotropic drugs used long-term to treat bipolar disorder. Chlorpromazine, first used in the 1950s, significantly reduced hospitalizations and led to deinstitutionalization, though this had some unintended consequences. Today, the most commonly prescribed medications are antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, which provide relief for most patients.

1. Psychotherapeutic Medications Chapter 13