The author provides all the necessary information to make the best use of anti-anxiety and hypnotic medications and antidepressants, in the treatment of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. He helps readers answer such questions as: Am I suffering from depression? Should I be on medication? If so, what sort of medication is best suited to my specific case? How does it work? Will it be effective? What are the side effects? Should I tell my friends and family? How can I be sure I won't become dependent on the medication? How can I make sure I won't fall ill again? Should teenagers and pregnant women take psychotropic medications? Besides providing information on medication, the author also gives advice about other forms of treatment (psychotherapy, relaxation, etc.). In France, six million people regularly take psychotropic medication. There was therefore a need for a serious, practical guidebook (which is not a pharmaceutical catalogue) offering clear information, concrete advice and accounts of patients' experiences. Antoine Pélissolo aims here to give patients psychological assistance through every step of their treatment, by providing them with information, support and reassurance. Antoine Pélissolo, a psychiatrist at Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, in Paris, is a research fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and a consultant at the Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits de la Santé (AFSSAPS).