Treatment of posttraumatic strees disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and related neuropsychiatric disorders

A method for preventing neuropsychiatric disorders comprising:

• preventing progression of a neuropsychiatric disorder by administering to a patient with a neuropsychiatric disorder an effective and non-toxic dose of an agent that increases GABA-A neurotransmission and decreases NMDA-glutamate neurotransmission.

A method of treating neuropsychiatric disorders comprising:

• augmenting the therapeutic effects of NMDA receptor antagonists and down-regulators in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders by administering to said patient an effective dose of magnesium ion.

A pill for treating neuropsychiatric disorders comprising:

• one or more agents that increase GABA-A neurotransmission;
• one or more agents that decrease NMDA-glutamate neurotransmission;
• and magnesium ion.

A method for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder comprising:

• administering an agent or combination of agents that have NMDA-glutamate antagonist activity and GABA-A agonist activity at effective and non-toxic dosages.

A method for treating posttraumatic stress disorder comprising:

• administering an agent or combination of agents that has NMDA-glutamate antagonist activity and GABA-A agonist activity at effective and non-toxic dosages.

A method for preventing progression of posttraumatic stress disorder comprising:

• administering an agent or combination of agents that has NMDA-glutamate antagonist activity and GABA-A agonist activity at effective and non-toxic dosages.

A method for preventing the development of posttraumatic stress disorder following extreme stress comprising:

• administering an agent or combination of agents that has NMDA-glutamate antagonist activity and GABA-A agonist activity at effective and non-toxic dosages.

A method for preventing substance abuse in patients at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder comprising:

• administering an agent or combination of agents that has NMDA antagonist activity and GABA-agonist activity at effective and non-toxic dosages.

A method for preventing the development of substance abuse in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder comprising:

• administering an agent or combination of agents that has NMDA-glutamate antagonist activity and GABA-A agonist activity at effective and non-toxic dosages.