Outline and Evaluate biological therapies for the treatment of abnormality Essay Example
Outline and Evaluate biological therapies for the treatment of abnormality
Drug therapy is the main treatment for mental disorders and is based on the assumption that chemical imbalance is at the root of the problem. One type of drug is anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., minor tranquillizers called BZs such as Valium. These have a calming effect by inhibiting the nervous system and causing muscles to relax. BZs work by enhancing the action of the chemical messenger GABA, which acts to calm brain activity. Another type of drug is anti-depressant drugs (e.g. MAOIs, TCAs and SSRIs. These improve mood by increasing the availability of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. For example, MAOIs block the action of an enzyme that breaks down serotonin, so increasing its availability in the nervous system. The last type of drug is anti-psychotic drugs (e.g. major tranquillizers such as the phenothiazines). These sedate and alleviate symptoms such as hallucinations, of the person suffering from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. They seem to work by blocking the D2 receptor for dopamine. Another type of therapy is ECT (Electro-convulsive therapy). This is when a patient lies on a bed, in loose clothes, and receives an anaesthetic and muscle relaxant before treatment. ECT involves passing a current (70-130 volts) through the brain for approximately half a second. This is done by fixing electrodes to the patient’s temples. This is now mainly used to treat people with severe depression and treatments are given typically two or three times a week for three r four weeks. Over 11,000 patients in England and Wales were given ECT in 1999 (Johnstone 2003) and two thirds of these patients were women.
Drug treatment has been found to be effective in relieving the symptoms of mental disorders in many people. Despite the claims made for some modern drug treatment, however, there are critics and the use of drugs remains controversial. Fisher and Greenberg (1989) believe they have
Drug therapy is the main treatment for mental disorders and is based on the assumption that chemical imbalance is at the root of the problem. One type of drug is anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., minor tranquillizers called BZs such as Valium. These have a calming effect by inhibiting the nervous system and causing muscles to relax. BZs work by enhancing the action of the chemical messenger GABA, which acts to calm brain activity. Another type of drug is anti-depressant drugs (e.g. MAOIs, TCAs and SSRIs. These improve mood by increasing the availability of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. For example, MAOIs block the action of an enzyme that breaks down serotonin, so increasing its availability in the nervous system. The last type of drug is anti-psychotic drugs (e.g. major tranquillizers such as the phenothiazines). These sedate and alleviate symptoms such as hallucinations, of the person suffering from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. They seem to work by blocking the D2 receptor for dopamine. Another type of therapy is ECT (Electro-convulsive therapy). This is when a patient lies on a bed, in loose clothes, and receives an anaesthetic and muscle relaxant before treatment. ECT involves passing a current (70-130 volts) through the brain for approximately half a second. This is done by fixing electrodes to the patient’s temples. This is now mainly used to treat people with severe depression and treatments are given typically two or three times a week for three r four weeks. Over 11,000 patients in England and Wales were given ECT in 1999 (Johnstone 2003) and two thirds of these patients were women.
Drug treatment has been found to be effective in relieving the symptoms of mental disorders in many people. Despite the claims made for some modern drug treatment, however, there are critics and the use of drugs remains controversial. Fisher and Greenberg (1989) believe they have