Among the sub-disciplines under the fields of medicine and science, the most dynamic areas include the studies on diseases of the mind. This is not so much caused by neglect, but by a lack of true understanding of the basic goings-on of the brain and the central nervous system. Modern medical science has come a long way in this field, however, with the introduction of psychology and psychoactive medication. We now have a better understanding of how the mind works and what can happen when it doesn’t. With scientific approaches, it is no longer acceptable to just thoughtlessly assume that people are possessed by demons or used as mouthpieces of the gods.
At the moment, there are several common psychological problems that can be treated or alleviated by using the right psychoactive medication. Anxiety, for example, is often treated with a variety of medications available via prescription. Among the more prominent types are chemicals from the benzodiazepine family of compounds, which has also been used as components in the production of tranquilizers and muscle relaxants. They act by depressing the central nervous system, triggering a release of biochemicals that...