By: Celine Chin
Newfound discoveries within the field of psychopharmacology have been life-changing for those with severe psychological disorders, and have been used to develop biomedical therapies. Some examples of biomedical treatments include drug therapies that alter brain function, electroconvulsive therapy, magnetic impulses, and psychosurgery.
The most common among these biomedical therapies are psychotropic medications that are prescribed to patients with mental disorders. There are different types of medication that are prescribed for different disorders. One is antipsychotic drugs, which include Thorazine, Prolixin, and Haldol. They are prescribed to treat schizophrenia and other severe thought disorders by blocking receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine. By blocking this neurotransmitter, certain positive symptoms like auditory and visual hallucinations as well as delusions can be treated. Positive symptoms mean that symptoms are present, or added to somebody’s experience of a disorder, instead of absent or taken away, like in negative symptoms. However, using antipsychotics can eventually cause tardive dyskinesia, which is characterized by involuntary movements of limbs and tongue and facial muscles, similar to the tremors caused by Parkinson’s Disease. Atypical antipsychotics also treat schizophrenia, but instead treat the negative symptoms (like withdrawal and apathy) through blocking dopamine and serotonin receptors. Side effects from using atypical antipsychotics include an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol levels, as well as drowsiness and dizziness. Some examples of atypical antipsychotics are risperidone, olanzapine, and aripiprazole.
Antianxiety drugs are used to treat anxiety that may result from conditions like OCD, PTSD, panic disorder, and social phobia. Examples include Xanax, Valium, and Ativan and they are capable of depressing activity of the central nervous system. The side effects of taking antianxiety drugs may include fatigue and lightheadedness. Another type of medication is mood stabilizers meant for treating patients who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers work by treating the mania and depression experienced with this disorder. Examples of mood stabilizers are lithium and Depakote, and these may result in side effects such as nausea and irregular heartbeat. The last category of psychotropic medications is stimulants, which treat ADHD with drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin. They improve a person’s ability to be attentive and focused. Side effects for this category of medications include decreased appetite, stomachaches, and headaches.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is another option for treating patients with severe depression. ECT works by sending an electric current through the brain to induce very mild seizures that alleviate the symptoms of depression. It seems to be quite effective, and produces successful results for about 80% of patients, especially in people who have not been successfully treated with drugs. However, electroconvulsive therapy is often used as a last resort since the procedure may result in memory loss and is not necessarily a cure. To prevent depression symptoms from returning, some sort of treatment like psychotherapy and medication is needed. Additionally, ECT is used for other severe mental disorders like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and catatonia.
An alternative to using ECT for depression as treatment is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which uses magnetic fields to stimulate neurons in the brain. It is a more recently developed treatment and similar to ECT, is only used when other therapies have not worked successfully.
Overall, there are many treatment options for those struggling with mental illnesses. While they may not serve as cures, they work to treat severe symptoms so that these disorders will not hinder people in day-to-day life. By using treatment options like medication, the effectiveness of other treatments like psychotherapy may increase.
Questions
Q: What are the different categories of drugs used to treat mental disorders?
A: There are many different types of drugs that are used to treat mental disorders, depending on the symptoms that are associated with each. For example, there are antipsychotic drugs and atypical antipsychotics that treat schizophrenia symptoms, anxiety drugs that treat anxiety disorders like PTSD, OCD, panic disorder, and social phobia, mood stabilizers that treat bipolar disorder, and stimulants that treat ADHD.
Q: In what scenario would electroconvulsive therapy be used?
A: Although electroconvulsive therapy produces successful results for many who seem to be resistant to drug treatments, they are only used as a last resort because memory loss can result from this treatment. An alternative to electroconvulsive therapy would be transcranial magnetic stimulation.
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Wikimedia Commons @ BruceBlaus
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