Just as aspirin can reduce a fever without curing the infection that causes it, psychotherapeutic medications act by controlling symptoms. These medications do not cure the mental health issue, but in many cases, they can help a person function better. For example, drugs like chlorpromazine can turn off the “voices” heard by some people coping with psychosis and help them to see reality more clearly. And antidepressants can lighten the dark moods of depression. The degree of response to these medications depends on a variety of factors related to the individual and the disorder being treated.

How long someone must take a psychotherapeutic medication depends on the individual and the disorder. Many depressed and anxious people may need medication for a single period—perhaps for several months—and then never need it again. People with conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness), or those whose depression or anxiety is chronic or recurrent, may have to take medication indefinitely.

Like any medication, psychotherapeutic medications do not produce the same effect in everyone. Some people may respond better to one medication than another. Some may need larger dosages than others do. Some have side effects, and others do not. Age, sex, body size, body chemistry, physical illnesses and their treatments, diet, and habits such as smoking are some of the factors that can influence a medication’s effect. There are many mental health tests that can test a person's possible responsiveness to treatment, and your doctor is always the best place to start with these kinds of issues.