Download Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 1 Running Head

Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 1
Running Head: PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, DISEASES, AND DRUGS
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 2
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs
Conditions that are characterized by the individual presenting with behaviors that
are defined as abnormal are termed psychiatric disorders o psychiatric disease.
An
abnormal behavior is one that has been defined within the field of mental health as
being atypical or unusual. Those patients who are diagnosed as suffering psychiatric
disorders or diseases may have altered perceptions of reality or have impaired abilities
to interpret reality. This alteration or impairment can result in great distress for the
individual and may lead to self-defeating and/or dangerous behaviors. The behaviors
termed abnormal are often also considered socially unacceptable within the culture that
is the person’s own (Nevid & Rathus, 2005).
One of the most complicated of all of these psychiatric diseases is schizophrenia.
The name of this disease indicates that the mind is experiencing a “splitting of psychic
functions” (Pinel, 2007, p.481). Schizophrenics present with symptoms that include
hallucinations, incoherent thought patterns, bizarre delusions, inappropriate affect and
odd behaviors. The range of severity and occurrence of the symptom patterns may
vary from individual to individual (Pinel, 2007).
A number of theories have been advanced about schizophrenia. Some theories
hold that there is a genetic component to the disease that may be triggered by stress or
trauma. This genetic component can be exacerbated if the sufferer is held back during
their early neurodevelopment (Pinel, 2007).
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 3
Other theories hold that individuals who suffer from schizophrenia have
increased levels of the brain chemical dopamine. This theory was developed during
Parkinson’s disease research when the drug chlorpromazine was shown to be a
receptor blocker (Pinel, 2007).
The dopamine theory was advanced when the D2
receptors were found to be reactive to phenothiazines and butyrophenones.
Phenothiazines bind to both D1 and D2 receptors.
receptors.
Butyrophenones bind to D2
It was revealed that hyperactivity at the D2 receptor site and not all
dopamine receptor sites was evident in schizophrenia (Pinel, 2007).
Brain imaging studies show that the disease is directly correlated with brain
damage.
This upholds the concept that early neurodevelopment impairment may
contribute to the disease (Pinel, 2007).
Other disorders include affective disorders. The involve mania, depression and
the combination of the two.
This combination is termed bipolar affective disorder.
These disorders are psychiatric disorders of a class that evidence a dramatic effect on
an individual’s mood. A wide variety of theories try to account for affective disorders.
Two of these are the monoamine theory and the diathesis-stress theory (Pinel, 2007).
The monoamine theory strives to explain depression. It holds that depression is
correlated with the serotonergic and noradrenergic synapses not working at a less than
optimal level (Pinel, 2007, p. 492).
Re-uptake of monoamine treatments has been
beneficial in helping those with depression. The success rate remains low at about 25%
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 4
benefits for those patients treated with monoamine agonists.
These agonists include
such drugs as the MAOI’s, tricyclic anti-depressants, SSRI’s and SNRI’s (Pinel, 2007).
In the diathesis-stress model, depression is seen as a having a strong genetic
component. This is coupled with early life stressors that cause permanent sensitization
in the brain. This theory holds that the early stressors lead to overreaction habits in the
presence of mild stressors and that these habits last for a lifetime (Pinel, 2007).
There are five main classes of anxiety disorders.
They include generalized
anxiety disorder, phobic anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder
and posttraumatic stress disorder (Pinel, 2007).
Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include generalized anxiety even in the
absence of stressors. Phobic anxiety disorder is characterized by some of the same
symptoms as generalized anxiety disorder; however, the anxiety is directly linked to
very specific situations or objects. When the patient is exposed to these situations or
objects, deep seated panic and fear result. Panic disorders can also be part and parcel
with phobic anxiety and generalized anxiety disorders. The patient with panic disorder
will also exhibit severe physical distress and fear (Pinel, 2007). Obsessive compulsive
disorder is evidenced in patients who display uncontrollable and frequent repetition of
anxious thoughts and impulses. Post traumatic stress disorder results from extreme
trauma or stress that are followed by significant psychological distress and impaired
function (Pinel, 2007).
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 5
The first three classes of disorders, the anxiety disorders, are generally treated
by the use of benzodiazepines and serotonin agonists.
The intention in their
administration is to decrease the symptoms of anxiety in the patient.
These treatments
are based on the theory that anxiety disorders are an experience-based disease, not a
neural mis-function.
The possible implication of genetic predisposition to these
diseases may contradict this theory (Pinel, 2007).
Tourette’s Syndrome is a disorder that is characterized by involuntary movement
and speech.
The tics of Tourette’s are repetitive, involuntary and stereotyped
movements and vocalizations.
They range from very minor to very severe (Pinel,
2007). There is not much information that sheds light on this disorder. It is seen to be
associated with other disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder and attention
deficit disorder (Pinel, 2007).
Current treatments for this disease include the
administration of medications that block the D2 receptors.
The success of these
treatments leads the theory that Tourette’s is a “neurodevelopmental disorder resulting
from excessive dopaminergic innervations of the striatum and the associated limbic
cortex” (Pinel, 2007, p.499).
Pharmaceutical treatments are used for treating many psychiatric diseases and
disorders. Schizophrenic symptoms can be reduced through the use of antipsychotic
medications. They must be taken for a prolonged period to produce successful results
(Pinel, 2007).
MAOI’s, SSRI’s and tricyclic anti-depressants are often used in the
treatment depressive disorders. These medications have been successful in altering
Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs 6
monoamine levels, serotonin levels or dopamine re-uptake abilities through site receptor
blocking (Pinel, 2007). Side effects are however, quite significant. These side effects
include addiction, sexual dysfunction, impaired motor functioning, weight gain,
gastrointestinal problems, increases in risk of suicidal tendencies and anxiety. This
indicates that other treatments and study advances must be made to provide patients
with better long term treatments (Morris & Maisto, 2005).
Benzodiazepines and serotonin agonists are used in the treatment of anxiety
disorders. Benzodiazepines side effects include a high addiction risk as well as heavy
sedation, motor disturbance, tremor and nausea. The class of SSRI drugs is more
successfully used in anxiety disorder treatments with the exception of generalilzed
anxiety disorder.
These drugs give the benefit of
anti-anxiety effects of
benzodiazepines but eliminate the sedation and impaired motor functioning side effects
of those drugs (Pinel, 2007).
Each psychiatric disorder and disease is characterized by its own set of unique
symptoms. Causes and contributing factors of these disorders and diseases include
genetics, neurodevelopment issues, brain damage and experience in various
combinations. There are common threads in psychiatric disorders in that they all cause
the sufferer a great deal of personal distress. Treatments vary widely in their success.
With additional research and study into the causes and treatment modalities, it may be
possible for many people who suffer from these disorders to enjoy brighter futures.
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References
Morris, C.G., & Maisto, A.A. (2005). Psychology an introduction (12th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc..
Nevid, J.S., & Rathus, S.P. (2005). Psychology and the challenges of life. Adjustment in
the new
millenium (9th ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pinel, J.P. (2007). Basics of biopsychology. Boston: Pearson Education.