Unit 13: Treatment of Psychological Disorders Section 3: The Biomedical Therapies

Treatment for Psychological Disorders PsychotherapyBiomedical Therapy Trained therapist uses psychological techniques to assist someone seeking to overcome problems. Therapists prescribe medication or a medical procedure that acts directly on the patients nervous system. ** 50% of all psychotherapists use the eclectic approach to treat their patients. (This PowerPoint presentation will focus on these types of therapies.)

Drug Therapies (psychopharmacology) is the study of the effect of drugs on the mind and behavior. drug therapies are the most widely used form of biomedical therapy for treating severe mental disorders. In order to know if a new drug is effective or not, researchers use placeboes and double blind studies. Control Group is given placebo.Experimental Group is given the new drug.

Why the use the double blind procedure? Neither the research staff or the patient knows if the pill is a placebo or the new drug (only the research designer knows). This procedure takes out the effect of patient and staff expectations, which can alter results. Researchers can then analyze results after a period of time to see if the experimental drug had lasting affects. (Placebo effects are only temporary).

Antipsychotic Drugs Function: lower dopamine levels to reduce hallucinations, delusions, and dementia. Examples: chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril) Drawbacks: can result in a wide range of side effects that can be either inconvenient or harmful to the health of the patient. Many antipscyhotic drugs work by blocking dopamine from being transported through the body via neural networks

Types of Antipsychotic Drugs Typical Antipsychotics (1950-present)Atypical Antipsychotics (1990-present) Older drugs; traditionally used Newer drugs, more commonly used today More side effects; tardive dyskinesia (facial twitches) Less side effects (or at least, more acceptable side effects) Block dopamine receptors Block dopamine and affect serotonin levels “First generation” antipsychotics “Second Generation” antipsychotics Can be highly addictive Less addictive Both can be effective. Both target dopamine receptors

Antianxiety Drugs Function: calms the activity of the central nervous system Examples: Xanax, Valium, Ativan, D- cycloserine Drawbacks: can result in dependence on drugs to reduce anxiety rather than helping the patient to resolve the underlying problem. Many antianxiety drugs work by blocking epinephrine from being transported through the body via neural networks

Antidepressant Drugs Function: block the reuptake of serotonin and force the excess to stay in the synaptic gap, thus increasing the amount of serotonin available. Examples: fluoxetine (Prozac), parpxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), Drawbacks: Side effects; loss of sex drive, nausea, dizziness, headaches, irritability. Many antidepressant drugs work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin. Allowing serotonin to flood the system and blocking it from going back to where it came from, will increase mood in a depressed person.

Antidepressant Drugs (Contd.) 89% of people suffering from depression take antidepressants. 11% of men and 5% of women are on antidepressants. antidepressants take up to a month to take effect because serotonin also increases neurogenesis in the limbic system, which takes time. therapists often prescribe medication along with exercise to increase endorphins, as well as cognitive therapy to improve patterns of thinking.

Mood-Stabilizing Drugs Function: balances mood swings, specifically by treating the elevated “mania” phase of bipolar. Examples: lithium carbonate Drawbacks: can have many manageable but inconvenient side effects. Lithium carbonate is a natural compound. It is very cheap, but little is known about why lithium carbonate is effective in treating bipolar disorder.