Biological therapies - drugs

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  • Created by: z_mills1
  • Created on: 18-05-14 12:50
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  • Biological therapies - Drugs
    • Antipsychotic drugs
      • used to combat the symptoms of psychotic illnesses e.g. schizophrenia
      • conventional antipsychotics block the transmission of dopamine and so alleviate many symptoms of this disorder
    • Antidepressant drugs
      • SSRIs improve mood by making neurotransmitters like serotonin available
        • relieve the symptoms of depression
      • person can become psychologically dependent on them
    • Anti-anxiety drugs
      • Benzodiazepines reduce anxiety by slowing down the activity of the central nervous system
      • Beta-blockers reduce the activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline (part of the body's response to stress)
      • highly addictive - should be prescribed for a short period only
    • Evaluation
      • Strengths
        • effectiveness - drugs have been found to be effective in many patients
        • ease of use - drug therapies require little effort from the patient - more likely to be motivated to continue treatment
      • Limitations
        • tackle symptoms rather than cause
          • drugs only offer temporary alleviation of symptoms
            • as soon as patient stops taking the drug its effectiveness ceases and symptoms return
        • side effects - e.g. SSRIs can cause nausea and suicidal thoughts
          • one of the main reasons drug treatments fail - as patient stops taking medication because of the side effects

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