tranquilizers

Tranquilizers are drugs that depress central nervous system activity to reduce anxiety, agitation, and tension. The term has historically been used for two broad classes: major tranquilizers, now commonly called antipsychotics, and minor tranquilizers, commonly known as anxiolytics or sedatives.

Major tranquilizers, now commonly called antipsychotics, are used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. They primarily block dopamine D2 receptors in the brain and can reduce delusions, hallucinations, and agitation. Minor tranquilizers, or anxiolytics and sedatives, include benzodiazepines and related drugs; they enhance inhibitory signaling by the GABA system, producing calmness, muscle relaxation, and sleep.

Uses and considerations: Tranquilizers are prescribed for anxiety disorders, acute agitation, certain sleep disturbances, and, in psychiatric care, to manage symptoms of psychosis. They carry risks of daytime sedation, cognitive impairment, and motor incoordination. Prolonged use, especially of benzodiazepines, can lead to tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal. Overdose risk increases with other depressants such as alcohol. They must be prescribed and monitored by clinicians, with attention to drug interactions and in populations such as the elderly.

History and terminology: The words tranquilizer and sedative have historical usage; modern psychiatry uses antipsychotics and anxiolytics as more precise descriptors. Ongoing research aims to develop medications with improved efficacy and safety, including options with fewer dependence risks and different mechanisms of action.