What are some mood enhancing drugs?
Some of the most commonly used include: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine HRI (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
DREs classify drugs in one of seven categories: central nervous system (CNS) depressants, CNS stimulants, hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics, narcotic analgesics, inhalants, and cannabis.
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, drug classes are determined by the Controlled Substances Act. Accepted classes of drugs include narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and marijuana.
Lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics are the three main types of drug which are used as mood stabilisers. There are several types of individual drug within each of these groups. Each of these individual drugs may be known by several different names, some of which we have listed in these pages.
The most widely used mood stabilizing drug is lithium. The clinical effects of lithium were discovered in the 1940s, and it has since become a widely used medication. The clinical properties of other mood stabilizers (carbamazepine, valproic acid) were discovered in the 1970s and 1980s.
Drug Classifications By Effect
In general, addictive drugs may be classified as Stimulants, Depressants, Hallucinogens, or Opioids. These four drug classifications separate substances by how they interact with the brain and alter a person's mindset and behavior.
Caffeine is a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug that affects how we think and feel. It is a stimulant that speeds up our breathing, heart rate, thoughts and actions.
- Antidepressants.
- Antipsychotics.
- Sleeping pills and minor tranquillisers.
- Lithium and other mood stabilisers.
Understanding different drug types will help you to recognise the effects and potential harms.
- Opium.
- Heroin.
- Codeine.
- Hydrocodone.
- Morphine.
- Oxycodone.
- Fentanyl.
What are common drug names?
Marijuana street names include weed, dope, pot, reefer, grass, ganja, hash, herb, skunk, boom, gangster, chronic, and blunt. Heroin street names include junk, smack, skag, 'H', brown, horse, white horse, harry, and boy. Street names for cocaine include coke, crack, rock, Charlie, snow, dust, and yay-yo.
- Stimulants.
- Inhalants.
- Cannabinoids.
- Depressants.
- Opioids.
- Steroids.
- Hallucinogens.
- Prescription drugs.

Key points about mood disorders
The most common types of mood disorders are major depression, dysthymia (dysthymic disorder), bipolar disorder, mood disorder due to a general medical condition, and substance-induced mood disorder.
Psychoactive drugs alter the way a person thinks, acts, and feels. They often fit into one or more categories, including stimulants, depressants, opiates, and hallucinogens.
The most common mood disorders are: Depression. Bipolar Disorder. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Try walking, playing a team sport or pumping iron at the gym. Diet also plays an important role in maintaining emotional health. Be sure to eat a diet rich in whole grains, lean meats, vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts. Interacting with others can also help boost a person's mood.
Lithium and quetiapine top the lists for all three phases of the illness: mania, depression, and the maintenance phase. Lurasidone and lamotrigine are either untested (lurasidone) or ineffective (lamotrigine) in mania, but they are essential tools for bipolar depression.
- lithium.
- sodium valproate (Depakote)
- lamotrigine (Lamictal)
- topiramate (Topamax)
- gabapentin (Neurontin)
Simple activities like watching sports with a friend, having a soak in the bath, or meeting up with friends for coffee can all improve your day. Doing something you're good at, such as cooking or dancing, is a good way to enjoy yourself and have a sense of achievement.
You'll typically need mood-stabilizing medication to control manic or hypomanic episodes. Examples of mood stabilizers include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others) and lamotrigine (Lamictal).
How can I change my mood quickly?
- Get outside. It may seem simplistic, but getting outside in the fresh air can be a big game changer. ...
- Work out. ...
- Smile (or laugh!) ...
- Reward yourself. ...
- Light a candle. ...
- Love on an animal. ...
- Hug someone. ...
- Get a massage.
- Alcohol.
- Hallucinogenics, such as LSD, PCP, psychedelic mushrooms.
- Benzodiazepines.
- Antidepressants.
- Heart medications.
- Blood pressure medications.
- Prescription pain relievers.
- Decongestants.
Lithium: The first mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers are medications that help control the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. They are the cornerstone of treatment, both for mania and depression. Lithium is the oldest and most well-known mood stabilizer and is highly effective for treating mania.
Mood stabilisers are a type of medication that can help if you have moods swings such as mania, hypomania and depression. They help to control and even out these mood swings. Although antidepressants can help to lift your mood, they aren't in the group of drugs medical professionals call mood stabilisers.