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TREATMENT DRUG CHART AND DRUG THERAPY NOTES
Psychopharmacology – The study of drug effects on the mind and behavior.
DISORDER CATEGORY
DRUGS
Antipsychotic drugs
Thorazine, Clozaril,
(neuroleptics)
Haldol
Antianxiety drugs
(anxiolytics)
Antidepressants
Bensodiazephines
Nonbensodiazephine
(nonaddictive – up to 6
weeks to work
MAO-I – Nardil, Parnate
Monoamine Oxidase
Inhibitors
TCA’s – Tofranil, Elavil,
Amitid
Tricyclic Antidepressant
SSRI’s – Prozac, Zoloft,
Paxil, Luvox
Bipolar Disorder
HOW THEY WORK
Occupy dopamine
receptors sites to block
dopamine activity
(addictive, but instant)
Selective Serotonin
Reuptake Inhibitors - Block
the reabsorption and
removal of serotonin from
the synapse
Dual- Action
Antidepressants –
Serzone, Effexor, Celexa
affect serotonin and
norepinephrine
Lithium - A mineral salt used
to treat
bipolar
disorder
No one really sure how
it works
WHAT THEY DO
Relief of the positive
Symptoms of
schizophrenia
Relief of symptoms of
anxiety by depressing the
central nervous system
All of these relieve
patients of the
symptoms of depression
Also effective on OCD
Relieves patients of vast
mood swings
Electroconvulsive Therapy – Electrical current is applied to the scalp causing a convulsion
1. Used to treat severe depression
2. Believed to raise certain neurotransmitter levels
3. Side effects include memory loss, transient confusion, and rarely death from heart failure
A new therapy called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) – Pulses surge through a coil held close to a person’s
scull above the right eyebrow. It is performed on wide-awake patients for 20 – 30 minutes for 2 – 4 weeks. It causes no seizures,
memory loss, or other side effects.
Psychosurgery – Brain areas are removed or destroyed
1. A prefrontal lobotomy is performed when a probe is inserted in a small hole cut in the skull and brain tissue is in the
frontal lobe is destroyed.
2. This is risky, sometimes fatal, and is the LAST resort after all other treatments fail and are almost never performed.
Evaluating Psychoactive Drugs
1. Drugs may cover up the problem without curing it.
2. Even good drugs may be abused
3. All drugs have unwanted side-effects
4. There are different clinical effects depending on a person’s ethnic background and gender. Genetic
factors and dietary factors are likely to account for these differences.
Group/Family/Couples Therapy
1. Group therapy is the simultaneous treatment of several clients by a therapist who tries to facilitate interaction among
group members.
Advantages to group therapy
1) therapist can see how client interacts
2) client feels less alone 3) group members can raise each others’ self-confidence, selfacceptance, and expectations for improvement
4) clients can learn from each other
5) group members may become
more sensitive and more willing to share feelings.
6) the group is a safe place to try out new behaviors
2. Family Therapy – Treats two or more people from the same family system
3. Couples Therapy – Communication between partners is the focus of the treatment.
Is Psychotherapy Effective?
Client’s Perceptions: Testimonials strongly affirm effectiveness.
 People often enter therapy in crisis
 Clients may need to believe the therapy was worth the effort.
 Clients generally like their therapist and speak kindly of them.
Massachusetts study of 500 boys that were headed for delinquency showed that later in life when they evaluated the therapy that the
control group was doing as well as the treated group.
Studies have shown that boys put in “Scared Straight” were boy likely to commit new offenses.
Clinician’s Perceptions: Clinicians also give strong affirmations of effectiveness.
Outcome Research
Meta-analysis (combining the results of many studies) indicates that
1. People who remain untreated often improve
2. Those who receive psychotherapy are more likely to improve regardless of what type of therapy they use and for how long.
3. People with clear cut, specific problems have the greatest results from therapy.
4. Placebo treatments or sympathy and friendly counsel from paraprofessionals produce more improvement than occurs when
people receive no treatment.
The Relative Effectiveness of Different Therapies
A meta-analysis revealed no one type of therapy is superior.
A study by the Society of Clinical Psychology has identified the following
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Cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy and behavior therapy for depression
Cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, and stress inoculation training for anxiety
Cognitive behavior therapy for bulimia
Behavior modification for bedwetting
Behavioral conditioning for phobias, compulsions and sexual disorders
Evaluating Alternative Therapies
Therapeutic Touch – Move hands a few inches from body to “push energy fields into balance.” This does not seem to work and there
is no credible theory that predicts why it might.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – Traumatic experiences are imagined while eyes rapidly dart about.
Studies suggest that although it seems to work it is probably more of a combination of exposure therapy and the placebo effect
Light Exposure Therapy – Exposure to a timed daily dose of intense light used mainly for people with seasonal affective disorder.
Studies indicate that exposure to morning light is beneficial and shifted the secretion of the hormone melatonin to an earlier time.
Commonalities Among Psychotherapies
All types of psychotherapy seem to offer three benefits
 New hope
 A fresh perspective
 An empathetic, trusting, caring relationship
Cultures and Values in Psychotherapy
In general, therapist differ in their values which in turn influence their aims. Value differences also create problems when a therapist
from one culture works with a client from another culture.