Psycho Pharm Info

Psycopharmacology Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow Still

admin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Mental Illness has been misunderstood since the beginning of time. It is not until recently that medications have been created to help with the suffering for these disorders. People suffering from mental illness were unfairly treated and could even be accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Until the 1950′s treatment for those with mental illness was limited to restraint and institutionalized. Later on talk therapy and electroshock therapy were both used to keep the demons of mental illness at bay. Early drugs used to treat mental illness were limited to lithium and antihistamines. These were the drugs of choice for many illnesses, from depression,dementia and schizophrenia.

New drugs have been created in the last twenty years and include antidepressants, for all types of depressive disorders, anxiolytics, for anxiety and anti-psychotics for many types of mood disorders. Sometimes these drugs are used in combination to treat different mental conditions. New research is ongoing into the mysteries of the mind, and new medications are coming on the market every day to alter the minds of those suffering from many types of mental disorders. Research has taken us a long way from the days when people were locked away for their illnesses. Hopefully cures for the many mental disorders suffered by patients will be perfected in the future and we can say goodbye to mental illness forever.

The Field Of Psychopharmacology And How It Effects Our World

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Psychopharmacology is the study of how drugs effect alterations in moods, sensitivity and behavior. Essentially, how modern active drugs affect human brains. Humans have been intrigued by this topic for centuries. Nomadic tribes knew of many plants which altered peoples’ perceptions, moods and behaviors and these were often used in ceremonies. Today however, the active ingredients in these plants have been extracted and concentrated in a pill form. Synthetic psychoactive drugs have also been made in labs and have no relation to natural products. Almost any substance that passes the blood-brain barrier can be considered a psychoactive substance. This includes everything from alcohol to depression medication. Research in psychopharmacology tries to understand how these drugs alter people’s brains (both chemical mechanisms and the qualitative effects). Having obtained a small grip on how they work, can allow for their medical use in order to treat diseases such as severe depression, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder. Frequently prescribed painkillers are also psychoactive drugs. As the complexities of the brain become more and more obvious, researchers are able to target certain drugs more specifically to symptoms in order to avoid undesired side-effects. Today psychopharmacology is a huge field of doctors, researchers, students and professors with the goal of improving lives of thousands of individuals.Keep looking, there’s more: Fear and Loathing in Bioethics blog: Do psychoactive drugs increase rates of mental illness?

Students Getting Involved With Their World Through Psycopharmacology

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In the past, individuals who suffered from mental disorders (including personlity disorders) had few options besides having in-patient treatment in a mental institution. However, with the advancements in medicine and science, people who have mental disorders are now able to get prescription drugs that can help modify their behavior. For this reason, the field of psychopharmacology (which is the study of drugs that alter moods, feelings, and emotions) is growing at a rapid rate.

This is causing a huge demand for qualified individuals with this specialized expertise, and now more than ever, students are getting involved with their world through psycholopharmacology.

People who get into this field aren’t doing so just to get a steady paycheck. There is a certain sense of satisfaction in knowing that they are able to help mentally-challenged individuals live a more normal life. Not being able to control one’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions can be an incredibly debilitating condition to live with. Students getting involved with psychopharmacology can make a positive difference in the world because they are able to help these individuals.

As medicine continues to advance and new discoveries are being made with respect to the affects certain drugs can induce in the brain, the need for people who are trained in the field of psychopharmacology will continue to increase.

Suspect a Friend Has a Problem With Psychopharmacology?

pmirek — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Do you suspect a friend or loved one is under the negative effects of psychopharmacology? Have you noticed drastic changes in their behavior that warrant concern and leave you worried? Here are a few things to look for when you’re afraid someone you know is taking psychopharmacology a little too far:
They’re visiting the doctor too much: Does your friend constantly have doctor’s appointments and new medications? Particularly if they’re visiting multiple doctors who may not know of each other, psychopharmacology could be suspected.
Their moods have been erratic: Does your friend go from content to manic almost instantaneously? For example, have they recently become obsessed with something like cooking or saving money, so much so that they’re researching electricity rates in texas to find a better deal? If so, medicines may be to blame.
Their physical appearance has changed: If you’ve noticed physical changes along with behavioral anomalies, medicine could be the culprit. From thinning hair to a change in complexion, marked changes to a person’s appearance may mean they’re experimenting with psychopharmacology.
Talking to a friend is the first step in determining if they have a problem with behavior altering drugs.

Psycopharmacology: Where It Began And Where It Is Going

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Psychopharmacology – the study of how psychotropic drugs affect thought, mood, sensation, and behavior – has been around for centuries. Even cavemen, when they weren’t busy hunting and gathering, used plants with psychoactive properties for pleasure, relief, and revenge. Substances such as alcohol, opium, and mushrooms were popular in ancient Greece and Rome. The ancients quickly discovered that these drugs could serve purposes that were not strictly medicinal. By the sixteenth century, alcohol consumption was rampant and tobacco, coca, and coffee had also weaseled their way into the mix. The 1800s saw the rise of cocaine, heroin, morphine, and amphetamines. It wasn’t until the 1960s that hallucinogens became immensely popular, although they had been in use for centuries. Research into new psychopharmacologic drugs exploded in the second half of the 20th century, and many new psychotropic drugs were discovered and tested. These drugs were not used for the purpose of restoring mental health and affecting behavior until the 1950s. Although the drugs that are used in psychiatric treatment are neither hypnotic nor sedative, many still question whether the application of psychopharmacology is entirely ethical – a valid concern, given the importance we place on non-interference in personal liberties. Some would even argue that the use of these drugs is dangerous, whatever the intention or potential benefit. Still, research is ongoing and properly licensed doctors and psychiatrists continue to defend the medical benefits of appropriately prescribed psychoactive drugs. Much more is known about these drugs than was known in the early days of their use, and continued study promises to find further uses and benefits and incite further debate.

The Top Ten Things You Should Know About Psycopharmacology

admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The discipline of psychopharmacology is connected with the medical field of psychiatry. One of the first things that you should know about psychopharmacology is that it is connected with the practice of psychiatry. Psychiatry can’t exist as a medical field without psychopharmacology. Pharmaceutical companies are involved with psychopharmacology. That is the second thing that you should know about psychopharmacology. Corporations that are involved in the process of formulating drugs to be prescribed by psychiatrists for the treatment of mental disorders are involved in the field of psychopharmacology. Drugs used by psychiatrists need to be tested before approved for prescriptions by psychiatrists at large. A third thing that you should know about the field of psychopharmacology is that those professionals are involved in testing drugs formulated for the treatment of mental disorders.
A fourth thing that you should know about psychopharmacology is that it is the science of developing chemical substances for the treatment of psychological problems and is not involved in the practice of psychologists. A psychologists can’t prescribe psychopharmacological drugs to patients. Only a psychiatrists can prescribe psychopharmacological drugs to mental patients since only a psychiatrist has had medical training in addition to psychological training. A fifth think that you should know about psychopharmacology is that it is medical in nature not psychological. There are five other things that you should know about psychopharmacology:
Sixth- A psychopharmacologist can work for a pharmaceutical company.
Seventh- Psychopharmacology involves an extensive knowledge of chemistry.
Eighth- A psychopharmacologist shares his research with psychiatrists who are also trained in the medicinal use of drugs to treat mental health disorders.
Ninth- The practice of psychopharmacology is only in research and development of chemical substance that have been shown or can be proven to help in the treatment of mental health disorders.
Tenth- Drugs developed by psychopharmacologists require special information on dosage and prescription strength and are test by the FDA.

History of Prozac

www.psychopharminfo.com — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Prozac is one of the best-known SSRI antidepressants. Whether judging by its references in movies and television to the actual number of prescriptions filled (22.2 million in 2007), Prozac (the tradename of fluoxetine) generally falls in the top three. Only sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) were more popular. Some of the Prozac references in popular culture include psychiatrist Peter D. Kramer’s book Listening to Prozac: A Psychiatrist Explores Antidepressant Drugs and the Remaking of the Self and Elizabeth Wurtzel’s memoir Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America, which was made into a movie.Prozac is very effective at treating a number of conditions, usually severe depression disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, but also including bulimia nervosa and panic disorders. The drug’s history began at Eli Lilly and Company in 1970. Bryan Molloy and Robert Rathbun were collaborating on the synthesis of antihistamine diphenhydramine, which was known to have certain antidepressant properties. This resulted in nisoxetine, a NRI currently used in experiments but not in human beings.Two years later, however, David Wong (also working for Eli Lilly) attempted to find a new derivative that inhibited serotonin. Jong-Sir Horng was the researcher who actually tested the series and found the future fluoxetine compound to be the best option. The compound was given the name Prozac and 1975 and submitted to the FDA for approval in 1977. Prozac was first made available in Belgium in 1986the FDA approved it in 1987.The Prozac patent actually expired in 2001. As other developers have attempted to recreate generic versions of the drug, Prozac was rebranded as Sarafem and, until 2007, it was marketed for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Does seasonal affective disorder require medication?

www.psychopharminfo.com — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

For many people, winter brings the promise of holidays spent with the family, hot chocolate, and possibly even a snow day. However, for others, winter is a time when they begin to slip into a unique depressive disorder. This condition was first named in 1984 by Norman E. Rosenthal, who called it “seasonal affective disorder,” or SAD. One study has found that in some states, the condition’s prevalence can be estimated at over 9 of the population (9.7 in New Hampshire).People who don’t suffer from the condition may find it hard to believe that a change in seasons can cause depression. It is normal for people to feel less energetic as the temperature drops, but SAD refers to something more severe. SAD sufferers experience conditions at all times of the day, starting with having difficult waking up in the morning or even experiencing morning sickness. They often oversleep and overeat, leading to weight gain, and a general feeling of depression and pessimism pervades their everyday tasks. Some people experience SAD conditions during the summer.The question is, what causes SAD, and does it require medical treatment? Many people believe that the cause of normal (winter) SAD is the lack of sunlight. Sunlight helps regulate the production of melatonin, and when it disappears, melatonin is overproduced, leading to depression and fatigue. This explains the condition’s low levels in the state of Florida (less than 2 of the population). Bright light therapy is commonly recommended as a treatment. This type of therapy prescribes the application of bright light for a certain amount of time, usually at a certain time of the day. Other people believe that treatment could be as simple as taking a 30-60 minute walk early in the morning.Certain types of medications have been prescribed for SAD disorders. Generally, these are common SSRI antidepressants, such as Prozac. Wellbutrin, a type of atypical antidepressant, may also be prescribed.