Mental illness has evolved over the last couple hundred years. From the theological model of the Middle Ages to today’s modern medicine, it is very clear that the understanding of mental illness has become better understood with time. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2018), “Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities” (para., 1). When people begin to experience signs and symptoms of mental illness, they are more often seeking treatments from their family doctor or practitioner. One of the most common treatments for mental illness today is prescription medication, specifically psychotropic drugs. However, since the introduction of these psychotropic drugs, there has been criticism due to the fact that the medications only ‘mask’ the signs and symptoms and do not treat the cause. While that statement may be true, it does not change the fact that it relieves patients from their mental illness signs and symptoms. Psychotropic drugs are a great solution for mental illness because they have shown to be one of the easiest treatments for the patient and one of the most effective treatments in history.
According to Malini Ghoshal, RPh, MS of Healthline (2019), she states the following: “A psychotropic describes any drug that affects behavior, mood, thoughts, or perception. It’s an umbrella term for a lot of different drugs, including prescription drugs and commonly misused drugs. They work by adjusting levels of brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, like dopamine, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, and serotonin” (paras., 1-7).
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Legal psychotropic medications have five major classes: anti-anxiety agents, antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and stimulants (Ghoshal, 2019, para. 8). These medications improve symptoms of certain conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and sleep disorders, etc. by altering neurotransmitters. These medications require special monitoring by healthcare providers due to the very serious side effects. An individual will be assessed to determine which class of medication a doctor or practitioner will prescribe.
Psychotropic drugs have changed medical history. The introduction of these medications has lowered the in-patient populations in hospitals everywhere. Before psychotropic drugs, patients were admitted into asylums, where they would be monitored and studied. According to Jeffrey Walters (2018), “Psychotropic medication became the treatment of choice in the 1950’s. Chlorpromazine, developed in France in 1952, became the first synthesized psychotropic drug; chemicals that exert their principal effect on a person’s mind, thought or behavior. Synthesized drugs were different than sedatives in that they did not impair consciousness but enabled (in varying degrees) mad people to actually function. In 1954 the pharmaceutical corporation Smith, Kline, and French (SFK) introduced chlorpromazine under the trade name Thorazine in the U.S. SFK used one of the most extensive marketing campaigns in history (comprising over 50 salespersons, employing the reports of dozens of psychiatrists, and millions of lobbying dollars) to convince state legislatures and hospital administrators of the utility of the drug to ultimate success. Thorazine was soon joined by its sister medication, Reserpine, and eventually over 830 other psychotropic drugs over the next 60 years”.
Psychiatrists were eventually able to prescribe and dispense these psychotropic drugs for mental illness. All of this would mean that infectious diseases were not the only illnesses to be treated with medications.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Branch (2017), “Most health professionals and researchers believe that mental illness is usually the result of an interaction of physical, environmental, and social factors” (para., 4). Examples of physical factors include the human’s individual genetic make-up as well as any physical trauma they have experienced. These traumas range from brain injuries to different types of street drug and substance abuse. Environmental factors affecting one’s mental health would be any severe psychological traumas, such as sexual abuse or war. The social factors affecting a person’s mental health can be anything from where the person lives, works, who they interact with, and what the person has for support. Other factors include the amount of stress people carry, how people cope with their stress, and how long they have had stress.
People do and can recover from mental illness. According to The Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Branch (2017), “Recovery is a very individual thing, and can be defined as ‘living well in the presence or absence of symptoms’. Hope, healing, a sense of empowerment and social connections are key to an individual’s recovery from mental illness. Recovery focused social and psychiatric services, educational programs, affordable housing and financial assistance are also key to recovery. And the earlier people get help, the better the outcome” (para., 7).
Unfortunately, it is not always an option for everyone to change these physical, social, and environmental factors. For example, quitting a stressful job would be helpful in an attempt to lessen the load of stress the person carries, but the person cannot quit because they need the money to support themselves. This is where psychotropic medications come into play. In an event like this, an individual experiencing mental illness would benefit greatly by having their signs and symptoms masked.
It is important that mental illnesses are understood. By understanding the causes of mental illness for a specific individual, treatments and solutions can be targeted. It is also important to recognize that mental illness can happen to anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021), statistics determined the following: “Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States. More than 50% will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime. 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year. 1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness. 1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression” (para., 5).
Take note that a person’s mental health can and does change over time. There may come a time where the person is able to stop their consumption of the psychotropic drugs and also feel no more symptoms of the mental illness they once had. The patient is considered to be recovered and back to living their everyday life.
Psychotropic drugs, while convenient, do have their downsides. These drugs run many risks. Different types and classes of these drugs are suited specifically for the patients that follow certain assessments. A doctor or practitioner will make that assessment and bring forward the recommended treatment plan to proceed with.
Anti-anxiety agents, also known as anxiolytics, are used to treat various cases of anxiety disorder, sleep disorders, panic attacks, and stress. They work by increasing GABA levels in the brain, which can create a calming or relaxing feeling. However, anti-anxiety agents have serious side effects such as low blood pressure, loss of balance, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, and memory problems. They are not recommended long term and may be habit-forming.
Antidepressants are used to treat various types of depression. There are two mainly used types: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants. (SSRI) antidepressants are typically the first choice of treatment. This type of antidepressant works to increase serotonin availability in the brain. SSRI’s can have elevated heart rate as a serious side effect and can increase the risk of bleeding if also consumed with blood thinning medications. SNRI antidepressants work differently. These antidepressants work to increase dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. With that, the symptoms are helped to improve. This type of antidepressant runs the risks of increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Typical antipsychotics are drugs used to mainly treat schizophrenia but also other conditions as well. These drugs work by blocking dopamine in the brain. Common side effects including nausea, vomiting, sleep troubles, drowsiness, weight gain, and sexual problems. This class of drugs is associated with movement-related disorders so it must be taken with caution. Atypical antipsychotics are another type of drugs used to treat schizophrenia. These drugs block brain chemicals dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptor activity. The biggest caution of this drug is the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in patients under 18 years of age.
Mood stabilizers treat mood disorders. A common mood disorder is bipolar disorder. Strangely, mood stabilizers ways of working are still not yet understood. It is believed to relax certain areas of the brain that contribute to changes of mood.
Stimulants are used mainly to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These drugs increase dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. Overtime, the body can become dependent on stimulants. Stimulants may not be a great option if the patient has heart or blood pressure issues because they have a risk of increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Psychotropic drugs are safe when used as directed. These medications are controlled under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (S.C. 1996, p. 19). Much like other types of medications, misuse of psychotropic drugs can result in serious complications or death. It is important to follow the directions of the prescribing doctor, practitioner, and pharmacist who dispenses the medication.
The risks of psychotropic drugs appear to be frightening. So why do doctors and practitioners continue to use these drugs for treatment? The answer is simple; the psychotropic drugs have been proven to be effective in relieving patients of their mental illness symptoms. To this day, there is no specific cure to mental illness. So, although these medications do not ‘cure’ the patient’s case, the patient is able to go about their lives feeling relieved by not feeling their signs or symptoms.
Psychotropic drugs are a great first option in many patients’ treatment cases, but are also a last resort for some. Many patients are recommended Psychotherapy initially. Psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) is a treatment approach for those experiencing a wide variety emotional difficulties and mental illnesses. Psychotherapy helps to decrease and better-handle troubling symptoms. This makes the well-being and healing increase in a person. Psychotherapy is normally done in sessions. These sessions can be one-on-one, family, couples or in groups with others in need for their mental illness. The biggest downside to psychotherapy is the amount of time and effort needed towards the treatment. Sessions can range from half an hour to a full hour, multiple times a week. Individuals with busy lives may not have the ability to make time for these sessions. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2021), “Psychotherapy is often used in combination with medication to treat mental health conditions. For many people combined medication and psychotherapy treatment is better than either alone. Healthy lifestyle improvements, such as good nutrition, regular exercise and adequate sleep, can be important in supporting recovery and overall wellness” (para., 6).
The cost of psychotherapy is also an issue. A patient may need many sessions of psychotherapy, and each one of those sessions will cost money. Psychotherapy is not often covered by insurance or benefit plans. Unfortunately, psychotherapy also fails to treat many patient cases. If a patient is skipping sessions or not personally opening up during their sessions, the treatment will not be as effective. When it is clear that psychotherapy is not working, psychotropic medications could be the next best option.
A reason that psychotropic drugs are an easy treatment solution for a patient is because the patient does not need to put in a lot of time or effort. This would exclude the cost of the drugs, however. Even then, these medications are commonly covered through insurance and benefit plans. As previously stated, psychotherapy very often is not recognized on insurance and benefit plans. The cost of psychotropic drugs may be comparable to psychotherapy, but this is dependent on many aspects such as availability and demand. Depending on the area where an individual lives, psychotherapy may not be an option (such as in the rural areas). Psychotropic drugs are available in pharmacies with a prescription from a doctor or practitioner, which is already a common service even in small communities.
The bottom line is that psychotropic drugs are a great solution for mental illness. Although it may not cure mental illness, it relieves the symptoms from patients. The ‘masking’ effect of the medications is not necessarily a bad thing. Patients are able to live regular lives without feeling pain and abnormalities. Psychotropic drugs are one of the most chosen options for patients today and will continue to serve many more patients in the future.
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