I got to wondering one day last week about the future of psychopharmacology in the 21st century. Here’s what I envision unfolding: Psychopharmacology will be directed toward the observable and measurable characteristics that define mental illnesses by gene expression, RNA fingerprint, brain mapping, brain imaging and DSM categories with a track record of medication responsiveness. [...]
Q. Why do so many antidepressants seem to cause sexual dysfunction? A. In addition to its antidepressant effects, serotonin is a rather powerful vasoconstrictor. It can restrict blood flow to sexual organs and negatively impact sexual performance, libido and the ability to reach orgasm. Q. Is Prozac’s long half-life a drawback to its action? A. [...]
Think of depression not as a diagnosis, but instead as a cluster of symptoms with many possible causes. Possible causes of clinical depression: Psychosocial stressors. Often referred to as reactive depression, individuals have difficulty adjusting to troublesome environmental stimuli such as a recent divorce, job loss or the death of a family member or close [...]
Except for dementia, the incidence of mental illness does not increase with age. Alzheimer’s disease is a common, but not inevitable consequence of aging – about 50 percent of people over the age of 95 suffer from it. The majority of mental deterioration before age 80 is a result of the disease process, not aging. [...]
The seven classic symptoms of mania and hypomania are probably best summed up through the use of the acronym D I G F A S T Distractibility: Inability to maintain focus on tasks Insomnia: Reduced need for sleep accompanied by increased energy in spite of little sleep Grandiosity: Inflated self-esteem Flight of ideas: Racing thoughts [...]
It’s logical and natural for us to think of stress as something that problematic in our lives. The truth is not all forms of stress are bad for us. In fact, short-term periods of acute, slight-to-moderate, predictable stress poses no health problems, and is a normal and healthy part of daily living. The short-term release [...]
Antidepressants: According to recent data, none of the antidepressants that have been studied in pregnancy have been found to increase the baseline rate of 1 percent to 3 percent for major fetal malformations. Some studies, however, report an increased rate of spontaneous abortions. The SSRIs are not associated with malformation of the fetus or fetal [...]
The cost of prescription drugs will not stop rising anytime soon, but there are a number of ways to save. Here are some suggestions: The place to start is with your choice of insurance company or plan. Find out about the range of prescription benefits and whether or not the medications you’re taking are covered [...]
Q. When diagnosing depression in a client, how concerned should I be about identifying specific depression subtypes? Do specific subtypes suggest different treatment modalities? A. For years now, clinicians have attempted to categorize depressions into “subtypes.” A few examples are: typical vs. atypical, reactive vs. biological and psychotic vs. non-psychotic. There are as many as [...]
“Fat” is a bad word in our society, but omega-3 fatty acids are one of the superstars when it comes to improving nerve conduction. High levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain also reduce neuroinflammation, a factor commonly seen in people with depression. Cell membranes consist partly of omega-3s, which make it easier for [...]