You are on page 1of 7

Thomas King

PSY 240
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases and Drugs
University Of Phoenix

There are many different types of psychological disorders, many of them have
treatments or can be lessened with medications. Psychological disorders are also
commonly called mental disorders, this is when an individuals behavior can impact their
life and can cause distress for the individual that is experiencing problems.

Schizophrenia is when an individual would most likely experience what is called insanity.
Schizophrenia can impair an individuals thoughts, speech, emotional, perception, and
motor activities, and can often times lead an individual to not know what is reality and
non-reality.

Dopamine is the theory with schizophrenia, schizophrenia is caused by too much


dopamine and, conversely, that ant schizophrenic drugs exert their effects by decreasing
dopamine levels. (Pinel, 2011). When the body doesnt make enough or makes too much
of a certain chemical this can often times lead to an illness or disease that needs to be
treated by a doctor.

Treatments that are given to individuals with schizophrenia can be given medications:
(Mayo Foundation, 1998-2011) Aripiprazole (Abilify), Clozapine (Clozaril), Olanzapine
(Zyprexa), Paliperidone (Invega), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Risperidone (Risperdal), and
Ziprasidone (Geodon)

These drugs can help an individual be calm and not get agitated, the medication can help
individuals not have delusion episodes or have hallucinations, and help disorganized

speech and behavior. Short term side effects can include an individual to drowsiness,
restlessness, muscle spasms, tremor, dry mouth, blurred vision. Long term side effects
with antipsychotic drugs can cause serious problems that can include Tardive dyskinesia
(TD) which can cause an individual to have involuntary movements of the mouth, lips
and tongue, and often times other parts of the body. (Mayo Foundation, 1998-2011)

Other treatments for schizophrenia after an individual has taken medications for
antipsychotics than an individual can then have psychosocial treatments that include:
(Mayo Foundation, 1998-2011) Social skills training, family therapy, vocational
rehabilitation and supported employment, and individual therapy.

Depression and Mania are disorders that affect an individuals mood and behavior.
Depression can affect all genders, and some are not always treated because many
individuals do not recognize signs of depression, many individuals that have severe
depression can be put on medications such as Prozac to help with restoring chemical
balances in ones body.

Mania can be seen as opposite of depression, mania can be characterized by (Pinel, 2011)
overconfidence, impulsivity, distractibility, and high energy. Individuals that have both
depression and mania can be diagnosed as bipolar affective disorder.

There are two theories about depression: Monoamine theory suggests that depression is
associated with under activity at serotonergic and noradrenergic synapses (Pearson
Education, Inc, 2009)

The second theory is diathesis-stress model: This theory is seen when an individual is
susceptible to stress early on in life that their system can become permanently sensitized,
and can often over react to mild stressors for the remainder of their lives. (Pearson
Education, Inc, 2009)

Treatments for Depression can be combined with therapy and medications. Therapy can
help an individual talk to someone about why they feel a certain way and how they can
overcome feelings of sadness. Medications can include Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft along
with some other medications. Side effects depending on the medication could increase the
risk of suicidal thoughts, addiction, gastrointestinal problems, sexual dysfunction, and
motor problems. (Pinel, 2011).

Anxiety disorders are when an individual experiences chronic fear of doing any daily
activities, fear, worry and despondency is included in anxiety disorders. This can affect
the body with rapid heartbeat, hypertension, high blood pressure, nausea, sleep
disturbances, etc. (Pinel, 2011).

Anxiety disorders do not really have any theories to back them up because there is really
no really one way to place a cause on an issue that causes an individual anxiety.

Medications for anxiety can include (Pinel, 2011). Benzodiazepines are used to help
individuals with sleeping disorders. Serotonin agonists are prescribed as well to treat
anxiety.

Side effects of benzodiazepines (MedicineNet.com, Inc, 1996-2011) can include,


stomach upset, blurred vision, headache, confusion, depression, change in heart rate,
yellowing of the eyes or skin, etc.

Tourette syndrome is a disorder that begins in early childhood and leads on to adulthood,
this includes an individual using profanity, acting out in disturbing behaviors, and odd
movements of the body, also seen as tics.

There is no theory behind Tourette syndrome because of it being very hard to study.
(Pinel, 2011). There are no animal models, no particular genes have yet been implicated
in the development of the disorder, and because of the involuntary movements that
characterize the disorder, brain imaging is difficult and must be restricted to brief periods
during which patients are capable of controlling their tics.

Treatment of Tourette includes therapy and medication, education to family and friends is
presented for individuals to better understand what is going on, and medications such as
neurolepticss, which is a D2 receptor blocker (Dopamine Antagonist) that is also given to
treat individuals with schizophrenia. Side effects are the same as schizophrenia, but can

also cause an individual to get blood syscrasias, which requires an individual to have
frequent blood work drawn. (Pinel, 2011).

Psychological disorders and illnesses is a hard thing to overcome, some individuals do


not always get the help that they need right away and disorders can become worse in the
long run. Getting the help needed and being placed on the right type of medications can
help lessen the effects it has on an individual. As time goes on more advances in
medicines will continue to grow and the more knowledge we will have on correcting
these diseases of the body.

References

MedicineNet.com. (1996-2011). Benzodiazepines-oral. Retrieved from


http://www.medicinenet.com/benzodiazepines-oral/article.htm

Schizophrenia treatments and drugs. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2014, from


www.mayoclinic.com/health/schizophrenia/

Pinel, J. (2011). Sleep, Dreaming, and Circadian Rhythms. Biosychology (). :


Allyn & Bacon

You might also like