Biological Therapies: Drugs

THE MEDICAL MODEL

There are 3 main types of drugs: anti-psychotic, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety

Anti-psychotic - treats schizophrenia

Conventional anti-psychotics: block the action of dopamine (neurotransmitter) in the brain by binding to dopamine receptors

Atypical anti-psychotics: temporarily occupy dopamine receptors and then rapidly dissociating to allow normal dopamine transmission

Anti-depressant - treats depression

Depression thought to be due to insufficient amounts of serotonin (neurotransmitter) being produced in the nerve endings.

Anti-depressants work by blocking the enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitters; increasing serotonin levels

SSRIs are the most common anti-depressant drugs

Anti-anxiety - treats stress

BZ's : slow down the activity of the central nervous system (CNS). 40% of neurones in the brain respond to GABA (neurotransmitter) and when released, the neurones in the brain relax.

BZ's enhance the action of GABA and reduce their serotonin activity…