preview

Drug Therapy And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Good Essays

Amanda Bynes, an American actress, was diagnosed with both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 2013. Treatment of these disorders can be approached in medical, biological and psychological ways, including the use of family therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. However, a popular method of treating many mental disorders is antipsychotics or antipsychotic drugs.

Antipsychotic drugs are drugs that are used to treat schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Medications have undergone significant improvement over the past few decades and can be effective for psychotic symptoms, anxiety, depression and other disorders. Antipsychotic drugs work by blocking the chemical dopamine receptors in parts of the brain such as the mesolimbic …show more content…

Bipolar disorder is an unstable emotional condition involving extreme mood swings of depression and mania. The manic phase is characterised by periods of abnormality and persistently elevated, expansive or irritable mood. Based on the knowledge of the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs for both of these mental disorders, we can assume that they would take sufficient action in Amanda Bynes’ treatment.

For the treatment of bipolar disorder, antipsychotic medicines are sometimes prescribed to treat episodes of mania or hypomania. Examples of antipsychotic medicines include: aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone. These drugs may also be used as a long-term mood stabiliser and quetiapine can be used for the treatment of bipolar depression in the long-term. Antipsychotic medicines can be particularly useful if symptoms are severe or behaviour is disturbed. As there is a chance that the antipsychotics could cause side effects, the initial dose will usually be low. These side effects could include weight gain, blurred vision, constipation and dry mouth. If prescribed an antipsychotic medicine, regular health checks will be required at least every three months. If the symptoms don 't improve, the patient may be offered lithium and valproate as well.

For the

Get Access