Abstract
Many people possess little knowledge of schizophrenia and mood disorders unless they face them on their own. Undoubtedly, it is essential to pay more attention to the topic, as the process of the treatment of these serious mental illnesses is often ineffective. Drugs that can help patients with such conditions with minimum side effects or adverse reactions and with favorable outcomes have not been invented yet. Still, scientists all over the world are working diligently to achieve this. Healthcare providers prescribe antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics, through the medications only ameliorate some symptoms but not cure patients. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of the issue while dealing with schizophrenia and mood disorders on one’s own or assisting others.
Introduction
Unfortunately, the number of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and mood disorders is high worldwide. Moreover, the treatment of these conditions is particularly complex and often ineffective. Individuals who suffer from schizophrenia and mood disorders, along with their relatives, friends, and colleagues, always struggle to handle these mental issues successfully but continuously fail. The reason for it is that treating such conditions is a sufficiently challenging process impossible to outline precisely. Without any doubt, everyone needs to possess sound knowledge of the topic to handle schizophrenia and mood disorders on their own or assist others in dealing with them. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of all the difficulties arising in the drug treatment of the mental issues and recognize the ways to make the most of it.
Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders
Schizophrenia is a severe mental issue that affects all aspects of life, ranging from work to family. People suffering from it can experience severe disturbances in their thought process, leading to delusions (beliefs that are not based on reality) and hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that are not there) (Jones et al., 2018). The exact cause of the mental issue is unknown, but it is suggested that different factors such as genetics or social environment may cause it. Hence, everyone is at risk and needs to be ready to manage it.
Furthermore, mood disorders are common among individuals of all ages and from many different backgrounds. For example, people often suffer from depression or seasonal affective disorder. A person with a mood disorder needs constant support and proper treatment. The death of a close friend, fights with a partner, job loss, and even low score at school may lead to mood disorders; thus, it is essential to be aware of the topic to prevent them if possible or be able to help others.
Drug Treatment for Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders
Different drugs are used to treat schizophrenia and mood disorders, and their efficacy improves every year. According to Givens (2016), “newer psychotropic medications have been developed, thus offering treatment options with more favorable side effects profiles” (p. 309). Many scientists work diligently to create drugs with as few side effects as possible that would be more effective than those used nowadays. Undoubtedly, it is an exceptionally complex process, which is time-consuming and requires much effort.
First, antipsychotics or neuroleptics are used to manage schizophrenia. As Velligan et al. (2017) note, “a meta-analysis of 65 clinical trials in patients with schizophrenia stabilized on antipsychotic medication who were randomized to continue the treatment or switch to placebo showed that treatment with antipsychotics significantly reduces rates of relapse” (p. 450). However, it is essential to mention that antipsychotics do not cure patients of the mental issue but only ameliorate some symptoms. Moreover, neuroleptics are dangerous substances which should be consumed carefully.
Second, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics are used to handle mood disorders. These substances do not cure people but only treat some symptoms as well. However, if they are adequately taken in combination with self-help, individuals with mood disorders can achieve good results. Healthcare providers should consider many factors before prescribing the drugs, as they make a substantial impact on the brain. Hochman et al. (2016) state that the combination of an adjunctive antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer is associated with a lower rehospitalization rate and a longer time to rehospitalize in a one-year follow-up. Therefore, all the drugs mentioned above help people diagnosed with schizophrenia and mood disorders to some extent, though they have numerous drawbacks.
Drawbacks of Drug Treatment
Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are dangerous and may cause adverse health consequences or even death if not correctly used. To begin with, Voineskos et al. (2020) note that “while our data show that antipsychotics may cause adverse changes to brain structure, they also demonstrate that illness relapse may cause similar effects” (p. 9). Undoubtedly, it crucial to understand that the drugs used in the treatment of schizophrenia and mood disorders affect the brain, and it strengths the fundamental necessity to be cautious with them. However, it is unreasonable to deny their advantages and avoid consuming drugs; taking no action causes more adverse outcomes.
Moreover, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics have many side effects and adverse drug reactions. For example, movement disorders, suicide risk, withdrawal symptoms are only among the few negative consequences of drug treatment (Givens, 2016). Unfortunately, they can occur even if both healthcare providers and patients follow all the instructions. According to Givens (2016), “a study of patients with schizophrenia found 86.19% of the population experienced at least one antipsychotic-related side effect, and most side effects were linked to significantly lower rates of medication adherence” (p. 310). Hence, it is vital to note that taking the drugs mentioned above can lead to adverse drug reactions or side effects. However, strict medication adherence may minimize the risks.
Finally, nonadherence is the most severe problem for many individuals on their way to happy and healthy lives. The lack of resources or knowledge may play a devastating role in the treatment of schizophrenia or mood disorders. Velligan et al., 2017 emphasize that “negative attitude toward medication and substance abuse are consistent reasons for nonadherence to antipsychotic medication among people with serious mental illnesses” (p. 449). Therefore, it is essential to educate patients on the importance of medication adherence.
Additional Practices
The drugs cannot lead to considerable improvements on their own; thus, it is vital for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and mood disorders to involve themselves in different useful activities. For example, seeking support is crucial, as it is challenging for most individuals to handle the conditions on their own. Besides, cognitive behavioral therapy aims to help patients re-evaluate their appraisals of their experiences, which affect their behavior and level of distress (Jones et al., 2018). In general, there are many opportunities for people suffering from severe mental illnesses to make the most of the treatment process and enjoy their lives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, schizophrenia and mood disorders are serious mental illnesses, which are challenging to treat. Millions of people suffer from their adverse effects on all aspects of life, and their causes are either unknown or unclearly described. Fortunately, there are different drugs, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics, which improve some symptoms. On the other hand, they are often ineffective and dangerous because of their strong impact on the brain, side effects, adverse drug reactions, and medication nonadherence. Although there are ways to make the most of the treatment process, it requires unique physical and mental strength and full of close ones.
References
Givens, C. J. (2016). Adverse drug reactions associated with antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and stimulants. The Nursing Clinics of North America, 51(2), 309–321.
Hochman, E., Krivoy, A., Schaffer, A., Weizman, A., & Valevski, A. (2016). Antipsychotic adjunctive therapy to mood stabilizers and 1-year rehospitalisation rates in bipolar disorder: A cohort study. Bipolar Disorders, 18(8), 684–691.
Jones, C., Hacker, D., Meaden, A., Cormac, I., Irving, C. B., Xia, J., Zhao, S., Shi, C., & Chen, J. (2018). Cognitive behavioural therapy plus standard care versus standard care plus other psychosocial treatments for people with schizophrenia. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11(11). Web.
Velligan, D. I., Sajatovic, M., Hatch, A., Kramata, P., & Docherty, J. P. (2017). Why do psychiatric patients stop antipsychotic medication? A systematic review of reasons for nonadherence to medication in patients with serious mental illness. Patient preference and adherence, 11, 449–468.
Voineskos, A. N., Mulsant, B. H., Dickie, E. W., Neufeld, N. H., Rothschild, A. J., Whyte, E. M., Meyers, B. S., Alexopoulos, G. S., Hoptman, M. J., Lerch, J. P., & Flint, A. J. (2020). Effects of antipsychotic medication on brain structure in patients with major depressive disorder and psychotic features: neuroimaging findings in the context of a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(7), 1–11.