The condition which was discussed in the first part is schizophrenia. As aforementioned, this is a medical condition which is characterized by delusive thoughts and depression. Victims often exhibit symptoms which can be addressed in two ways. The first way of addressing the condition is through psychotherapy. Basically, since this is a disease whose occurrence lies in behavioral changes, the victim can be taken through therapeutic procedures which will ensure that successful rehabilitation takes place. For instance, if the cause of the condition in a patient was due to environmental factors such as drug abuse, the best form of treatment for such a person is by withdrawing from the causative agents.
The condition can also be managed through pharmaceutical drugs. On this, the drugs are broadly classified into two groups. The classification of the drugs is into typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs. It should be noted that these drugs act as neuroleptics. In both cases, the drugs are used to manage psychosis among the patients.
Typical antipsychotics are often used to manage symptoms associated with positive behavior change such as delusion as well as hallucination. Examples of these drugs are Thorazine and Haldol. Other typical drugs are Thiothixene and Trilafon.
On the other hand, atypical antipsychotics are drugs which are used to manage symptoms associated with negativity as well as positivity in patients. Some of the common symptoms which are managed by the drugs are depression and hallucination. Examples of these drugs include Aristada, Zyprexa as well as Geodon.
If a patient does not respond positively to the antipsychotic drugs, then a dopamine derivative such as Clozapine can be used. This last kind of drugs is classified as miscellaneous psychotics. Their use is rare.
The treatment of schizophrenia has widely adopted the use of antipsychotic medications to treat this disorder. The drugs are divided into two groups, including the typical and atypical antipsychotics. It is worth noting that these drugs do not treat the disease but rather its effect by eliminating the symptoms. While researchers are yet to find the exact manner in which these medications, existing studies have shown that they imbalance the release of dopamine and serotonin, the common neurotransmitters in the brain. By causing such changes, people with this disorder can have their symptoms contained, thereby, allowing them to lead normal lives. The typical antipsychotics are better at treating the negative symptoms of this disease. Due to this, it is common to find a schizophrenic on many medications at once because each drug might be treating a particular disease. These medications are both present in form of pills and injections. The latter is only used in situations where patients refuse to take the medication willingly.
Initially, doctors favored the use typical antipsychotics such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine. However, their stance changed since the introduction of the atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine and risperidone which are mainly generic. Some researchers have reasoned that atypical antipsychotics have an advantage over the typical ones despite being more expensive. In treatment of first-episode schizophrenia, doctors have found these classes of drug to have the same level of effectiveness. The same also applies for the treatment of children and adolescents with schizophrenia. It is worth noting that the use of these drugs is usually approved for use in adult patients only.
When used in the treatment of schizophrenia, these drugs act in a matter that help in controlling the side effects. A dopamine antagonist is one of the drugs that blocks the dopamine receptors through a process known as receptor antagonism. Most of the antipsychotics are dopamine antagonists mainly used in treating schizophrenia.
Patients must note that florid psychotic episodes may takes weeks at times even months even though the relevant receptors are blocked just hours after taking the drugs. Researchers have devised ways through which they can describe these processes. Clinically, they refer to them as reduction in the behavioral effects or preoccupations. The behavior of these drugs depends on to which class they belong. For example, the classical neuroleptic drugs have their beneficial effects as well as the adverse motor side effects that closely relate. Other drugs like clozapine have been found to have a low tendency to produce motor side effects. Research have shown that antipsychotic drugs become free from the motor side effects when the D2-blocking potency combines with the antagonism found in one of the serotonin receptors. Such an action is often referred to as 5HT2a receptor.
More studies have been done to determine the proportion of different receptors occupied when schizophrenics received doses of antipsychotic drugs.
The use of drugs in managing schizophrenia have notable side effects. Some of the notable signs of adverse drug reactions from the taking of antipsychotic drugs are constipation, cracked lips, dry mouth, dizziness, and extreme mood changes. In extreme cases, these drugs are associated with involuntary muscle controls. Therefore, before a patient is enrolled on any kind of medication, an assessment should be carried out to find out if one is susceptible to these reactions. In some cases, the drugs might heighten the occurrence of the common symptoms associated with the condition. For instance, the patient might experience frequent hallucinations. When that occurs, one is advised to stop using the drugs. More importantly, it should be noted that the condition cannot be effectively cured. Therefore, it only needs to managed.
