Psychopathology - abnormality Essay

Submitted By jadeee100
Words: 1808
Pages: 8

1) Chlorpromazine is a type of medicine called a phenothiazine antipsychotic. It is used in the treatment of various psychiatric illnesses and is also used in the management of nausea and vomiting associated with terminal illness. Chlorpromazine works by blocking a variety of receptors in the brain, particularly dopamine receptors. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter known to be involved in regulating mood and behaviour, amongst other things. Chlorpromazine blocks the receptors that dopamine acts on and this prevents the overactivity of dopamine in the brain. This helps to control psychotic illness. Chlorpromazine improves disturbed thoughts, feelings and behaviour in various mental conditions, including schizophrenia, mania, and behavioural disorders that involve aggression or severe agitation or excitement. It produces a calming effect and controls aggression, delusions and hallucinations.

2) Antidepressants work by increasing levels of a group of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline, can improve mood and emotion, although this process is not fully understood.
Increasing levels of neurotransmitters can also disrupt pain signals sent by nerves, which may explain why some antidepressants can help relieve long-term pain. While antidepressants can help treat the symptoms of depression, they do not always address its causes. This is why they are usually used in combination with therapy to treat more severe depression or other mental health conditions caused by emotional distress. Antidepressants are usually taken in tablet form. When they are prescribed, you will start on the lowest possible dose thought necessary to improve your symptoms.

3) Drug therapy is used in the treatment of depression to moderate or correct neurochemical imbalances that affect moods (a substance used to prevent or cure disease or to relieve pain). Medication is often used to mean the act of administering medicine. Other synonyms include pharmacotherapy, pharmacotherapeutics and clinical pharmacology. Most drugs for drug therapy are prescription drugs obtained from a prescribing practitioner. Some patients whose depression is particularly resistant to treatment may benefit from combination therapy. Combination therapy is when your doctor recommend you take more than one type of medication at one time. Therapy will be recommended to patients as well medication to help treat abnormality and help patients ‘function more adequately’ in their day to day life. Those suffering from severe depression can often be helped by medication for mental illness. Antidepressants can improve mood as well as increase energy, thus allowing patients to better cope with traumatic events as well as their daily life. When coupled with therapy, those suffering from severe depression can sometimes reach a point where medication is no longer needed. Antidepressants often provide patients with an increased ability to process the cause of their depression, thereby allowing them to learn how to deal with it. Most drug treatments are very effective in relieving frightening and distressing symptoms for many people, enabling them to manage day-to-day life more easily. Drug treatments do not work for everybody though, and individuals can respond differently to the same drug treatments. Unfortunately, most psychotherapeutic drugs have some unwanted side effects (these side effects vary between individuals and dosages taken).
4) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is not commonly used to treat mental illness and can be considered as rather controversial. Its use has significantly decreased in recent years and it is used far less than medication and talking therapies. ECT involves an electrical current being passed through the brain, causing a fit/seizure. This is done under a general anaesthetic and the use of muscle relaxants. Some people may prefer the option of a short course of ECT to taking medication long term.