Do you know the drugs your mental health practitioner prescribes

INTRODUCTION

Just how a therapist who is trained in psychoanalysis is presumably to use that technique, a therapist who has a biological perspective on personality and behaviour will most presumably turn to medical techniques to manage disorders. Even the therapist who are not biological in orientation MAY combine psychotherapy with medical treatments that are supervised by a medical doctor WORKING with a psychologist.

As Psychiatrists(medical doctors) are inescapably biological in perspective, they use biomedical approach IN ADDITION TO ANY PSYCHOTHERAPY technique they prefer.

The biomedical therapies have many approaches, including Drug therapy, Shock therapy, Surgical treatments and Non-invasive stimulation techniques.

This article will mainly be focused upon the Drug therapy.

PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

It is the use of drugs to control or relieve the symptoms of a psychological disorder. Although these drugs are sometimes used alone, they are MORE OFTEN combined with some form of psychotherapy and are MORE EFFECTIVE as a result.

BASIC CATEGORIES OF DRUGS:

1. Antipsychotic drugs

2. Anti-anxiety drugs

3. Antimanic drugs

4. Antidepressant drugs.

I. ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS

Drugs that are used to treat psychotic symptoms are called antipsychotic drugs.

Symptoms:

i. Hallucination

ii. Delusion

iii. Bizarre behaviour etc

They are classified into two types:

A. TYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC

These drugs work by blocking certain dopamine receptors in brain. However, as they block more pathways in the dopamine system than are actually involved in psychosis; a prolonged use tend to  cause problems.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Motor problems

ii. Tardive dyskinesia

EXAMPLES: Chlorpromazine, droperidol, haloperidol

B. ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC

These drugs may suppress dopamine but also block or partially block certain serotonin receptors. Thus, resulting a lesser negative side effects.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Weight gain

ii. Diabetes

iii. Blood disorder ( Clozapine)

EXAMPLES: Risperidone, Clozapine, Aripiprazole

• How long do people generally have to take these    antipsychotic medications?

~ In some cases, one may need drug treatment only for the duration a psychotic episode lasts, which might be a few months or a few years. But in most cases, specifically schizophrenia that starts in adolescence or young adulthood, the treatment goes on for the rest of the person’s life.

II. ANTI-ANXIETY DRUGS

The traditional drugs of this kind are the minor tranquilizers or benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan, Valium. All these drugs have sedative effect. When taken in right dose, relieves symptoms of anxiety wonton 25-30mins of taking the drugs orally.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Slight sedative effect

ii. Their potential for addiction / physical dependence

III. ANTIMANIC DRUGS

They are mood stabilizing drugs that are used for the treatment of bipolar disorders and episodes of mania.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Toxic build up in the body

EXAMPLES: Lithium, anticonvulsant drugs.

IV. ANTIDEPRESSANTS DRUGS

These drugs have a positive effect on mood. They are categorised as:

A. MAOIs:

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors is a class of antidepressants that blocks the activity of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase. It is the brain’s “clean up worker” as its primary function is to break down the neurotransmitters ( norepinephrine, serotonin & dopamine) that are mostly involved in mood control.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Weight gain

ii. Constipation

iii. Dry mouth

iv. Dizziness

v. Headache

vi.drowsiness

vii. Insomnia

vii. Some sexual arousal disorders

EXAMPLES: iproniazid, isocarboxazid, phenelzine sulfite, tranyclypromine sulfate.

B. TRICYCLICS

These drugs were discovered in course of developing treatments for schizophrenia. They increase the activity of serotonin and norepinephrine in the nervous system.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Skin rashes

ii. Blurred vision

iii. Lowered blood pressure

iv. Weight loss

EXAMPLES: Imipramine, desipramine, amitriptyline, doxepin

C.  SSRIs

The Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor drugs inhibit the reuptake process of only serotonin. This cause fewer side effects while still providing effective antidepressant action making it relatively safe when compared to other older antidepressant drugs.

SIDE EFFECTS:

i. Nausea,nervousness

ii. Insomnia

iii. Diarrhea

iv. Rash

V.  Agitation

vi. Some sexual arousal problem

OUTLOOK

Many mental health professional believe that combining psychotherapy with medications is a more effective approach towards treatment of many disorders.

However this varies from individual to individual and on the disorders as well. Treatment of depression and schizophrenia benefit from a combined approach. Although, a CBT( cognitive behavioral therapy) combined with drug therapy might not be more effective. Always follow the dose prescribed and the duration of the treatment. Never end your treatment without consulting your Psychologist.

Drug therapy and prescribing medications can only be done by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist who is trained in drug therapy. Always check the degrees of the health professionals before booking appointments.