Stimulants are typically formulated in fast and slow-acting as well as short and long-acting formulations. The fast-acting amphetamine mixed salts (Adderall) and its derivatives, with short and long-acting formulations bind to the trace amine associated receptor and triggers the release of dopamine into the synaptic cleft. They may have a better cardiovascular disease profile than methylphenidate and potentially better tolerated.

The fast-acting methylphenidate (Ritalin), is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. In the short term, methylphenidate is well tolerated. However, long term studies have not been conducted in adults and concerns about increases in blood pressure have not been established.

The slow and long-acting nonstimulant atomoxetine (Strattera), is primarily a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and, to a lesser extent, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. It may be more effective for those with predominantly inattentive concentration. It is sometimes prescribed in adults who do not get enough vigilant concentration response from mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall) or get too many side effects. It is also approved for ADHD by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The use of cholinergic adjunctive medications is uncommon and their clinical effects are poorly researched; consequently, cholinergics such as galantamine or varenicline would be off label use for ADHD. New nicotinic cholinergic medications in development for ADHD are pozanicline, ABT-418, and .

Although ADHD has most often been treated with medication, medications do not cure ADHD. They are used solely to treat the symptoms associated with this disorder and the symptoms will come back once the medication stops.

Treatment of SCT has not been well investigated. Initial drug studies were done only with the ADHD medication, methylphenidate (Ritalin/Concerta), and even then only with children who were diagnosed as ADD without hyperactivity (DSM-III) and not specifically for SCT. The research seems to have found that most children with DSM-III ADD-H (currently ADHD-C) responded well at medium-to-high doses. However, a sizable percentage of children with ADD without hyperactivity (using DSM-III criteria; therefore the results may apply to SCT) did not gain much benefit from methylphenidate, and when they did benefit, it was at a much lower dose.

However, one study and a retrospective analysis of medical histories found that the presence or absence of SCT symptoms made no difference in response to methylphenidate in children with ADHD-I. But these studies did not specifically and explicitly examine the effect of the drug on SCT symptoms in children. The only medication study to date who did this used atomoxetine (Strattera) and found it to have significant beneficial effects that were independent of ADHD symptoms.

Only one study has investigated the use of behavior modification methods at home and school for children with predominantly SCT symptoms and it found good success.

In April 2014, "The New York Times" reported that sluggish cognitive tempo is the subject of pharmaceutical company clinical drug trials, including ones by Eli Lilly that proposed that one of its biggest-selling drugs, Strattera, could be prescribed to treat proposed symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo. Other researchers believe that there is no effective treatment for SCT.

Mood stabilizers are often used as part of the treatment process.

1. Lithium is the mainstay in the management of bipolar disorder but it has a narrow therapeutic range and typically requires monitoring

2. Anticonvulsants, such as sodium valproate, carbamazepine or lamotrigine

3. Antipsychotics, such as quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine or aripiprazole

4. Electroconvulsive therapy, a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect

Some antidepressants, like venlafaxine, have been found to precipitate a manic episode.

Information on the condition, importance of regular sleep patterns, routines and eating habits and the importance of compliance with medication as prescribed. Behavior modification through counseling can have positive influence to help reduce the effects of risky behavior during the manic phase. Additionally, the lifetime prevalence for bipolar I disorder is estimated to be 1%.

Medications that have been shown to be effective in cases of treatment-resistant depression include lithium, triiodothyronine, benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, and stimulants. Adding lithium may be effective for patients taking some types of antidepressants, I it does not appear to be effective in patients taking SSRI’s. Triiodothyroxine (T3) is a type of thyroid hormone and has been associated with improvement in mood and depression symptoms. Benzodiazepines may improve treatment-resistant depression by decreasing the adverse side effects caused by some antidepressants and therefore increasing patient compliance. Since the entry of olanzapine into psychopharmacology, many psychiatrists have been adding low dose olanzapine to antidepressants and other atypical antipsychotics such as aripiprazole and quetiapine.

Particularly, the combination of olanzapine and fluoxetine seems to be effective.

These have shown promise in treating refractory depression but come with serious side effects. Stimulants such as amphetamines and methylphenidate have also been tested with positive results but have a high potential for abuse. However, stimulants have been shown to be effective for the unyielding depressed combined lacking addictive personality traits or heart problems.

Ketamine has been tested as a rapid-acting antidepressant for treatment-resistant depression in bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder.

The prognosis of SCT is unknown. In contrast, much is known about the adolescent and adult outcomes of children having ADHD. Those with SCT symptoms typically show a later onset of their symptoms than do those with ADHD, perhaps by as much as a year or two later on average. They have as much or more difficulty with academic tasks and far fewer social difficulties than do people having ADHD. They do not have the same risks for oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, or social aggression and thus may have different life course outcomes compared to children with ADHD-HI and Combined subtypes who have far higher risks for these other "externalizing" disorders.

However, unlike ADHD, there are no longitudinal studies of children with SCT that can shed light on the developmental course and adolescent or adult outcomes of these individuals.

Studies have shown a wide variability in the effectiveness of switching antidepressants, with anywhere from 25-70% of patients responding to a different antidepressant. There is support for the effectiveness of switching patients to a different SSRI; 50% of patients that were nonresponsive after taking one SSRI were responsive after taking a second type. Switching patients to a different class of antidepressants may also be effective. Patients who are nonresponsive after taking an SSRI may respond to bupropion or a MAOI.

Treatment often involves the use of behavioral modification and anticonvulsants, antidepressants and anxiolytics.

Aside from discontinuation of glucocorticoid medication, potential treatments discussed in the research literature include:

- anti-glucocorticoids

- psychoactive drugs that up-regulate the GRII glucocorticoid receptor:

- tricyclic antidepressants: Desipramine, Imipramine, and Amitriptyline (SSRIs do not )

- serotonin antagonists: Ketanserin

- mood stabilizers: Lithium

- corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) antagonists

- glutamate antagonists

- dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

- small molecule brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) analogs

- stress reduction therapies and exercise.

Glucocorticoid medications have been known to be associated with significant side effects involving behavior and mood, regardless of previous psychiatric or cognitive condition, since the early 1950s. But cognitive side effects of steroid medications involving memory and attention are not as widely publicized and may be misdiagnosed as separate conditions, such as attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) in children or early Alzheimer's disease in elderly patients.

Hypersexuality may negatively impact an individual. The concept of hypersexuality as an addiction was started in the 1970s by former members of Alcoholics Anonymous who felt they experienced a similar lack of control and compulsivity with sexual behaviors as with alcohol. Multiple 12-step style self-help groups now exist for people who identify as sex addicts, including Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, and Sexual Compulsives Anonymous. Some hypersexuals may treat their condition with the usage of medication or any foods considered to be anaphrodisiacs. Other hypersexuals may choose a route of consultation, such as psychotherapy, self-help groups or counselling.

People with hypersexual disorder experience multiple, unsuccessful attempts to control or diminish the amount of time spent engaging in sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviors in response to dysphoric mood states or stressful life events.

For a valid diagnosis of hypersexual disorder to be established, symptoms must persist for a period of at least 6 months and occur independently of a use mania or a medical condition.

According to Michael First of the DSM-5 working committee the focus of a relational disorder, in contrast to other DSM-IV disorders, "is on the relationship rather than on any one individual in the relationship".

Relational disorders involve two or more individuals and a disordered "juncture", whereas typical Axis I psychopathology describes a disorder at the individual level. An additional criterion for a relational disorder is that the disorder cannot be due solely to a problem in one member of the relationship, but requires pathological interaction from each of the individuals involved in the relationship.

For example, if a parent is withdrawn from one child but not another, the could be attributed to a relational disorder. In contrast, if a parent is withdrawn from both children, the dysfunction may be more appropriately attributable to a disorder at the individual level.

First states that "relational disorders share many elements in common with other disorders: there are distinctive features for classification; they can cause clinically significant impairment; there are recognizable clinical courses and patterns of comorbidity; they respond to specific treatments; and they can be prevented with early interventions. Specific tasks in a proposed research agenda: develop assessment modules; determine the clinical utility of relational disorders; determine the role of relational disorders in the etiology and maintenance of individual disorders; and consider aspects of relational disorders that might be modulated by individual disorders."

The proposed new diagnosis defines a relational disorder as "persistent and painful patterns of feelings, behaviors, and perceptions" among two or more people in an important personal relationship, such a husband and wife, or a parent and children.

According to psychiatrist Darrel Regier, MD, some psychiatrists and other therapists involved in couples and marital counseling have recommended that the new diagnosis be considered for possible incorporation into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV).

Hypersexual disorder is a pattern of behavior involving intense preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges and activities, leading to adverse consequences and clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important functions. It was proposed in 2010 for inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Treatment for Smith–Magenis syndrome relies on managing its symptoms. Children with SMS often require several forms of support, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Support is often required throughout an affected person's lifetime.

Medication is often used to address some symptoms. Melatonin supplements and trazodone are commonly used to regulate sleep disturbances. In combination with exogenous melatonin, blockade of endogenous melatonin production during the day by the adrenergic antagonist acebutolol can increase concentration, improve sleep and sleep timing and aid in improvement of behaviour. Other medications (such as risperdal) are sometimes used to regulate violent behavior.

Hypersexuality is a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals to describe extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. The terms nymphomania and satyriasis were once used to describe the condition, in women and men respectively, but are no longer in general medical use, although the former is still used colloquially.

Hypersexuality may be a primary condition, or the symptom of another medical disease or condition, for example Klüver-Bucy syndrome or bipolar disorder. Hypersexuality may also present as a side effect of medication such as drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease, or through the administering of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen during hormone therapy.

Clinicians have yet to reach a consensus over how best to describe hypersexuality as a primary condition, or to determine the appropriateness of describing such behaviors and impulses as a separate pathology.

Hypersexual behaviours are viewed variously by clinicians and therapists as an addiction, a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or “OCD-spectrum disorder", or a disorder of impulsivity. A number of authors do not acknowledge such a pathology and instead assert that the condition merely reflects a cultural dislike of exceptional sexual behavior.

Consistent with there not being any consensus over what causes hypersexuality, authors have used many different labels to refer to it, sometimes interchangeably, but often depending on which theory they favor or which specific behavior they were studying. Contemporary names include compulsive masturbation, compulsive sexual behavior, cybersex addiction, erotomania, “excessive sexual drive”, hyperphilia, hypersexuality, hypersexual disorder, problematic hypersexuality, sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity, sexual dependency, sexual impulsivity, “out of control sexual behavior”, and paraphilia-related disorder.

MAO inhibitor drugs block an enzyme system resulting in increased stores of monoamine neurotransmitters. More common antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs block reuptake transporters causing increased levels of norepinephrine or serotonin in synapses. Mood stabilizers include lithium and many anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine and lamotrigine are also used for mood disorders. This would demonstrate little to zero cross-tolerance with serotonergic or lithium treatment.

People affected by adipsia lack the ability to feel thirst, thus they often must be directed to drink. Adipsic persons may undergo training to learn when it is necessary that they drink water. Currently, there is no medicine available to treat adipsia. For people with adipsia because of hypothalamic damage, there is no surgical or medicinal option to fix the damage. In some cases where adipsia was caused by growths on thirst centers in the brain, surgical removal of the growths was successful in treating adipsia. Although adipsic persons must maintain a strict water intake schedule, their diets and participation in physical activities are not limited.

People affected by diabetes insipidus have the option of using the intranasal or oral hormone desmopressin acetate (DDAVP), which is molecularly similar enough to vasopressin to perform its function. In this case, desmopressin helps the kidneys to promote reabsorption of water. Some doctors have reported success in treating psychogenic adipsic patients with electroconvulsive therapy, although the results are mixed and the reason for its success is still unknown. Additionally, some patients who do not successfully complete behavioral therapy may require a nasogastric tube in order to maintain healthy levels of fluids.

Circumstantial speech (also referred to as circumstantiality) is the result of a so called "non-linear thought pattern" and occurs when the focus of a conversation drifts, but often comes back to the point. In circumstantiality, apparently unnecessary details and seemingly irrelevant remarks cause a delay in getting to the point.

If someone exhibits circumstantial speech during a conversation, they will often seem to "talk the long way around" to their point, which may be an attempt by the speaker to include pertinent hyperspatial details, that may contrast with linear speech, which is more direct, succinct, and to the point (the gist) even at the expense of more precise, accurate communication. Some individuals with autistic tendencies may prefer highly precise speech, and this may seem circumstantial, but in fact it is a choice that posits that more details are necessary to communicate a precise meaning, and preempt more disastrous ambiguous communication.

Circumstantial speech is more direct than tangential speech in which the speaker wanders and drifts (in order to add more thought vectors in unrelated hyperplanes) and usually never returns to the original topic, and is far less severe than logorrhea. A helpful metaphor is traveling to a destination. If someone is thinking and speaking linearly, then they will go directly to the point. Circumstantial speech is more like taking "unnecessary" detours, according to some, but the speaker eventually arrives at the intended destination. In tangential speech, the speaker simply gets lost along the way, never returning to the original topic of conversation. With logorrhea, which is closer to word salad, it may not even be clear that the speaker had a particular idea or point in the first place.

SR deficiency is currently being treated using a combination therapy of levodopa and carbidopa. These treatments are also used for individuals suffering from Parkinson's. The treatment is noninvasive and only requires the patient to take oral tablets 3 or 4 times a day, where the dosage of levodopa and carbidopa is determined by the severity of the symptoms. Levodopa is in a class of medications called central nervous system agents where its main function is to become dopamine in the brain. Carbidopa is in a class of medications called decarboxylase inhibitors and it works by preventing levodopa from being broken down before it reaches the brain. This treatment is effective in mitigating motor symptoms, but it does not totally eradicate them and it is not as effective on cognitive problems. Patients who have been diagnosed with SR deficiency and have undergone this treatment have shown improvements with most motor impairments including oculogyric crises, dystonia, balance, and coordination.

These drugs block dopamine receptors and some also block serotonin receptors (such as chlorpromazine, the first antipsychotic used clinically). Having been on one or more antipsychotics for any appreciable amount of time results in dramatically reduced sensitivity to others with similar mechanisms of action. However, an antipsychotic with a substantial disparity in pharmacology (e.g. haloperidol and quetiapine) may retain significant efficacy.

Research on parent–child abuse bears similarities to that on marital violence, with the defining characteristic of the disorder being physical aggression by a parent toward a child. The disorder is frequently concealed by parent and child, but may come to the attention of the clinician in several ways, from emergency room medical staff to reports from child protection services.

Some features of abusive parent–child relationships that serve as a starting point for classification include: (a) the parent is physically aggressive with a child, often producing physical injury, (b) parent–child interaction is coercive, and parents are quick to react to provocations with aggressive responses, and children often reciprocate aggression, (c) parents do not respond effectively to positive or prosocial behavior in the child, (d) parents do not engage in discussion about emotions, (e) parent engages in deficient play behavior, ignores the child, rarely initiates play, and does little teaching, (f) children are insecurely attached and, where mothers have a history of physical abuse, show distinctive patterns of disorganized attachment, and (g) parents relationship shows coercive marital interaction patterns.

Defining the relational aspects of these disorders can have important consequences. For example, in the case of early appearing feeding disorders, attention to relational problems may help delineate different types of clinical problems within an otherwise broad category. In the case of conduct disorder, the relational problems may be so central to the maintenance, if not the etiology, of the disorder that effective treatment may be impossible without recognizing and delineating it.

Treatment for irregular sleep–wake rhythm tries to enable the body clock in the brain, such that a normal long sleep period at night can be achieved. Education about sleep hygiene is important, and counseling can be helpful. Melatonin, vitamin B, sleep aids, wake aids, and other medications may also be used. Light during the daytime, and activities occurring at regular times each day, may help to restore a normal rhythm.

Because there are different systems in the body that help establish regulation, it's helpful to employ a multi-modal approach. A 2008 review states that "...each clock is differentially sensitive to zeitgebers. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is very responsive to light, the clock in the liver is very sensitive to food, and clocks in muscle are sensitive to exercise."

The following approaches are recommended by one source:

1. Spend <7–8 hours in bed.

2. Add environmental cues such as light and social interactions, regular meal times, and regular sleep–wake times.

3. Morning and eve light at 3000 lux for 2 hours have been shown to improve nocturnal sleep in institutionalized patients and reduce agitation in demented patients.

4. Melatonin at desired sleep time.

No high quality evidence has shown any drug very useful as of 2013. Rufinamide, lamotrigine, topiramate and felbamate may be useful.