...The causes of schizophrenia are unknown so the treatment is primarily focused on elevating the symptoms of the disease. This is primarily done with medication therapy using typical and atypical antipsychotics. This is often paired with psychosocial treatments. This helps the schizophrenic deal with the daily challenges of life such as work, communication, self care, forming and maintaining relationships. Schizophrenics that receive psychosocial therapy along side medication are more likely to continue taking their medication resulting in stabilization of their illness. Other treatments for schizophrenia are: Illness Management Skills: Teaching the schizophrenic to assume an active part in managing their own illness by educating them in basic facts of the illness helping them to identify early signs of decompensation Treatment for Co-occurring Substance Abuse: Substance abuse often accompanies schizophrenia as the person who is undiagnosed will self medicate with drugs and alcohol resulting in a need for dual treatment. Rehabilitation: This helps reintegrate them back in to social a vocational areas of their lives. Family Education: Educating the family helps them understand the symptoms of the illness, so they can be supportive and help the schizophrenic cope. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This focuses on the thinking and behavior of the schizophrenic, helping the schizophrenic deal with symptoms that do not go away with medication therapy. This can help reduce the severity...
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...Do atypical antipsychotics cause sexual dysfunction??? INTRODUCTON I have chosen to focus on atypical antipsychotics and sexual dysfunction for my summative assignment as I am interested in this topic. I will explain the process of gathering information and relevant to my topic. I will then discuss the strengths and limitations of four chosen articles and explain its implication to practice. RATIONALE While on my Common foundation programme in an acute ward I attended a ward round for different patients. For confidentiality reasons the patients name is withheld to respects patient’s right to confidentiality (NMC, 2009). One of the service users raised a concern regarding his medication, when asked for the reasons, he expressed that the medication was affecting his sex life. I found this to be an interesting topic to explore evidence on sexual dysfunction as one of the side effects of antipsychotic. The American Psychiatric Association (1997) describes sexual dysfunction as “the inability to maintain erection to complete intercourse or sexual activity”. Sexual dysfunction can cause extreme difficulties in relationship and can lead to low self-esteem and depression (Kell & Dinsmore, 2008). The Oxford Dictionary for Nurses (2008) describes atypical antipsychotics as drugs that are used to treat severe mental disorders (psychoses) including schizophrenia, mania and anxiety in small dosages. SEARCH STRATEGY To find the information relevant for my topic I will use key...
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...Aripiprazole There are many different types of prescription drugs to treat depression, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole is a drug, prescribed by a doctor, that can be used to treat Bipolar, Schizoaffective disorder, and Major Depression. Bipolar disorder is a chronic disorder that can last a lifetime. Bipolar disorder is a series of constant mood swings. Usually mood swings range from 1-2 weeks long. Aripiprazole is also used to treat Schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective disorder is a mix of depression and Bipolar disorder. People that are most affected by this chronic disease are usually 60 tears old or older. The final disorder that is treated with Aripiprazole is Major Depression. Major Depression is severe depression and sadness usually caused by stress. Symptoms of Major depression are decreased energy level and thoughts of suicide. Major depression is only short term and is easily treatable. Major depression typically affects ages 3-60+. These are the diseases and disorders that are treated with Aripiprazole. There are many positives of Aripiprazole. When a person with depression takes Aripiprazole they are enhancing their dopamine. When dopamine levels are raised one will become happier resulting in a non depressive state. When one pill of Aripiprazole is taken each day it will treat the user "night and day [with a] positive effect." Most patients state they feel both physically, as well...
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...death in those who took atypical and typical antipsychotic drugs. The typical drugs examined were Haloperidol and Thioridazine and the atypical, newer drugs were clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone. The study was divided between two cohorts- those on Tennessee Medicaid who were on antipsychotic drugs and the other cohort consisted of qualified nonusers of antipsychotic drugs but held an identical psychiatric record (Ray et al., 2009). The disease examined was a type of ventricular tachyarrhythmia called Torsades de pointes (TdP) in those who took atypical and typical antipsychotic drugs (Ray et al., 2009). Ventricular tachyarrhythmia is noted by an extended QT interval, which is the period where the heart recharges itself through a process called repolarization (Mayo Clinic, 2015). The extended QT interval in TdP involves both ventricles beating at a rapid rate, which results in less blood to the brain (Mayo Clinic, 2015). If there is a prolonged lack of blood to the brain, this can result in ischemia, hypoxia and death....
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