...Olanzapine is an efficacious and well-tolerated atypical antipsychotic indicated for the symptomatic treatment and management of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic, often debilitating and relapsing mental illness that impairs the functioning of a person’s mental and social ability (Gupta & Kulhara, 2010, p. 21). Schizophrenia remains one of the most abtruse and costliest mental disorders, affecting around 1% of the general population and is equally common in men and women (Van Os & Kapur, 2009, p. 635). This chronic psychosis disrupts the person’s life as well as the lives of their family and friends often making it difficult to cope (Van Os & Kapur, 2009, p. 635). Currently, there is no cure for schizophrenia, but the illness can be successfully treated and managed. Antipsychotic drugs remain the pharmacological choice in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia, in particular the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine (Neal, 2009, p. 141). Reports suggest that a chemical transmitter imbalance could explain the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This imbalance involves anomalies within the synaptic dopamine neurotransmission (Neal, 2009, p. 142). The mesocorticolimbic pathway which has an association with the control of behaviour and emotions reveals elevated dopaminergic activity (Bullock & Hales, 2013, p. 321). This particular pathway starts in the midbrain and connects to different areas of the limbic system and cerebral cortex. It also involves the parahippocampal...
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...Ziprasidone (Geodon), Aripiprazole (Abilify), and Paliperidone (Invega) (Insel). Psychosocial treatments are also available for schizophrenics. These treatments help people with schizophrenia who are already stabilized on some sort of antipsychotic medication. Psychosocial treatments help these patients deal with and focus on everyday challenges of the illness, such as self-care, work, communication, and making and keeping relationships. Learning and using coping mechanisms to address these problems allows schizophrenics to have a social life as well as attend school and work normally. People with schizophrenia who have regular psychosocial treatment are more likely to take their medications like they are supposed to, and they are less likely to be hospitalized or have relapses (Elis, Caponigro and Kring). Also, a therapist can help patients understand and adjust to living with this illness. The therapist can teach the patients about the disorder, common symptoms or even help with problems that specific patients may be experiencing, and they can teach them the importance of staying on their medications. These medications, the psychosocial therapy, and the therapists that help with the therapy are all exceptionally beneficial treatments available to a schizophrenic (Insel). Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is very scary and very real. 51 million people worldwide suffer from this disorder every single day (Chiko). To us, it is just a research paper, just another crazy illness...
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...Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments In today’s society, people seem to have a lot of problems that are classified as mental disorders. These disorders include: depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and even seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The immediate stigma that is placed on most if not all mood disorders is that they are sicknesses. In the case of depression, this is not to confuse depression, a normal emotion with biological depression, an illness. Further along this line of irrational thought is the belief that they are not treatable and the person affected is in some way, shape or form disconnected from civilization as we know it. In this research paper, we will attempt to destroy these unfair stereotypes on this subject, attempt to rationalize the behaviors, and shed light on treatments for the various disorders. The research gathered will attempt to understand and answer these questions: 1. What are mood disorders and their symptoms? 2. What are the causes? 3. How can the stigma of mood disorders be removed? 4. What forms of treatment are the most successful? What Are Mood Disorders And Their Symptoms? In order to get a good idea of what causes mood disorders, we first must attempt to categorize what various classes of disorders there are. Our text, Psychology: A Journey (2008 p. 500), defined mood disorders as major disturbances in mood or emotion, such as depression...
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...General Psychiatry William a. Kehoe, Pharm.D., m.a., FCCP, BCPS University of the Pacific stockton, california © 2009 American College of Clinical Pharmacy 1-281 General Psychiatry Learning Objectives: 1. Describe pharmacotherapeutic options for managing the following psychiatric problems: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal. Describe the drugs used to treat the above disorders in terms of unique pharmacological properties, therapeutic uses, adverse effects, and cognitive and behavioral effects. Formulate a pharmacotherapeutic treatment plan when presented with a patient having depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, an anxiety disorder, or insomnia. Discuss the treatment of substance abuse using alcohol abuse as a model. 4. 2. C. Theophylline. D. Pseudoephedrine. Which one of the following antidepressants would be least likely to cause drug-disease or drug-drug interactions for T.N.? A. Venlafaxine. B. Fluvoxamine. C. Phenelzine. D. Fluoxetine. Which one of the following periods represents the continuation therapy phase for T.N.’s depression? A. 6–12 weeks. B. 12–16 weeks. C. 6–12 months. D. 2−3 years. T.N. will be seen initially at monthly intervals to assess antidepressant therapy. Which one of the following instruments is a patient-completed measure of depressive symptoms that could be used to assess his response? A. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. B. Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale...
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