Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases and Drugs
There are many ways of defining, categorizing and treating psychological disorders and mental diseases. They sometimes fall in overlapping categories and hence, it is best to describe them with distinction as to their general and well-defined medical characteristics as well as their theoretical origins and causes and the prescribed medicines used to treat patients with these disorders. The most common psychological disorders are the following:
1. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a complicated psychological disorder and is often referred to as a “living nightmare.” (Myers, 2009) It has various symptoms which overlap with other mental diseases and neurological disorders i.e. epilepsy. It is mainly characterized by psychosis or what they call a break from reality. The patients’ emotions language, memory, perception, and behaviors are altered. (Ibid.) The positive symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, odd speech and inappropriate behaviors. The negative symptoms indicate the lack of normal skills, behaviors, motivations, etc. (Ibid.)
Schizophrenia is caused by both genetic and biological factors and psychosocial factors. The dopamine theory of schizophrenia explains this disorder as caused by a high level of dopamine. Thus, the drugs used for this disease are psychoactive drugs such as chlorpromazine, which act as receptor blockers. However, chlorpromazine was discovered to lower the blood pressure of a patient and hence discontinued.
2. Depression140
The term used for people with intense sadness is called “clinical depression.” (Pinel, 2009) This is characterized by the episodal fall into depths of despair and the loss of the drive and the ability to experience pleasure for no evident reason. Extreme depression makes people dysfunctional or unable to perform their normal daily functions like eating, taking a bath, meeting people, etc. The major symptom of a major depressive disorder is a depressed or sad mood. Other symptoms are: lack of appetite, loss of interest in leisure activities, low level of energy, low self esteem and confidence, among others.
One major theory on depression is the Monoamine Theory which states that this disease is related with underactivity at serotonergic and noradrenergic synapses. A second theory is called Diathesis-Stress Model of Depression which explains the disease as being inherited or through a genetic susceptibility.
There are four main types of drugs used in treating affective disorders and these are: lithium, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective monoamine-reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants. (Pinel, 2009)
3. Mania
Mania is one of the two types of an affective disorder. (The other one is depression as described above). (Pinel, 2009) As an affective disorder, it is characterized by distractibility, high energy, impulsivity, and overconfidence. It is also characterized by an excessive involvement in leisure activities such as shopping sprees, sexual escapades and rush decisions which have a potentially detrimental consequence. (Grohol, 2010)
In an episode of mild mania, patients become very confident, energetic, impulsive, talkative, and positive. Persons who exhibit these symptoms are often diagnosed with a manic depressive type of a bipolar disorder. (Ibid.)
Genetic factors make up the differences among individuals who develop affective disorders. Just like in depression, the four main types of drugs used in treating affective disorders and these are: lithium, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective monoamine-reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants. (Pinel, 2009)
4. Anxiety Disorder
This refers to the chronic fear which instantly appears in an individual even in the absence of any threat. This is often correlated with psychological factors such as stress. Anxiety, in general, can be positive if it produces more adoptive behaviors. However, it becomes a dysfunction when it disrupts the person’s individual activity. All anxiety disorders are linked with feelings of anxiousness such as worry, fear and despondency with correlated physiological effects. (Pinel, 2009)
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorder. There are generally five types of anxiety disorders. Most anxiety disorders are brought about by identifiable stressful events which are usually focused on specific objects or situations. Hence, the role of experience is crucial in the development of this disorder. It also has a genetic component.
The present theories of the neural bases of anxiety disorders mainly depend on the analysis of therapeutic drug effects. The three types of drugs used for this disease are: benzodiazepines, serotonin agonists, and antidepressants. (Pinel, 2009)
5. Tourette Syndrome
Tourette syndrome is a dysfunction of tics (i.e. involuntary, repetitive, stereotyped movements or vocalizations). It often starts early in life, often in childhood or puberty. It starts with simple motor tics i.e. blinking eyes and moving head. However, these symptoms become more complicated and severe as the patient grows. Other patients also display signs of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), obsessive-compulsive disorder or both. (Pinel, 2009) The social cognition involving the Theory of Mind and non-social executive skills have been linked with this disease. (Myers, 2009)
Mayo Clinic Website (2012) states that there are no helpful medications for Tourette syndrome as they all contain side effects. However, some drugs can be useful in minimizing tics such as:
Drugs that block or deplete the neurotransmitter dopamine i.e. fluphenazine or pimozide
Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox) injections
Stimulant medications
Central adrenergic inhibitors
Antidepressants
Conclusion
While schizophrenia, affective disorders (depression and mania), anxiety disorders, and Tourette Syndrome are generally categorized as psychological disorders or diseases, there are so much more to these mental illnesses which need to be distinguished. Various factors play a part in their development. It is very important to site the medical theories behind these diseases as they hold the key to their treatment. As it is, calling these diseases as abnormal psychology only speaks of its neuro and psycho social characteristics. It is therefore, more apt to study these diseases more deeply in order to understand its occurrences and its treatment.
References:
Grohol, John M. (June, 2010). “Manic Episode.” Retrieved on July 16, 2012 from, http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx9.htm.
Mayo Clinic Website. (2012). “Tourette Syndrome.” Retrieved on July 16, 2012 from, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tourette-syndrome/ds00541/dsection=treatments-and-drugs.
Myers,D. G. (2009). Psychology, 9th ed. New York: Worth Publishers.
Pinel, John P.J. (2009). Biopsychology, 7th ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.
