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The most common types of antidepressants are the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (or SSRI's). Some of the more well known medications in this class are: fluoxetine, sertraline, and escitalopram. They have been shown to be efficacious and are considered first line treatment for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and OCD. People can see some benefit shortly after starting an SSRI but really it takes approximately 6-8 weeks to get to full efficacy. Some other antidepressants we use commonly that are similar to SSRI's but also work on norepinephrine are the SNRI's: venlafaxine XR and duloxetine.

Mood stabilizers are commonly used to treat bipolar disorder. Several medications in this class are actually anticonvulsant medications. Some examples are lamotrigine, valproic acid, and carbamazepine.  

Lithium is an antigenic agent that is considered to be the 'gold standard' treatment for bipolar disorder. Lithium is different than the other medications listed above as it is not an anticonvulsant but is actually a salt. 

Antipsychotic medications are first line treatments for Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Some examples of commonly used antipsychotics are: aripiprazole, quetiapine, haloperidol, olanzapine, and risperidone. 

Antipsychotic medications are used to treat much more than psychosis. Some of them are actually approved  as an adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder when other (meaning antidepressant) medications have failed. Antipsychotics are also used to treat bipolar disorder because of their ability to stabilize mood and treat depression.  

Some antidepressants don't really fit into a class of medication so we refer to them as 'atypical.' These include trazodone and mirtazapine (medications commonly used 'off label' for insomnia), and bupropion.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA's) tend not to be first line anymore due to their anticholinergic burden and potential to cause weight gain, 

The MAOI inhibitors are a parti

cularly potent type of antidepressant that are usually reserved for more severe cases due do their many medication and food interactions.