Do anti-psychotics be taken continuously. are they used for more than just calming down a patient at the psych-ward?

It depends.: Certain patients, such as those with schizophrenia, may benefit from taking anti-psychotic medications over the long-term. There are many different types of anti-psychotic medications; some of the newer generation drugs are meant to be taken continuously. Older anti-psychotics are typically the ones used on the wards to sedate agitated patients.

Antipsychotics: They may be used short-term to reduce agitation or other symptoms during inpatient hospitalization. Depending on the cause of the symptoms, they may be needed long-term. For example, an infection, head injury, or drug withdrawal may cause transient psychotic symptoms. Psychotic symptoms due to something like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or dementia will likely require continued treatment.