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Psychopharmacologic Drug Use, Pros, Cons, and Neurotransmitters
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Psychopharmacologic Drug Use, Pros, Cons, and Neurotransmitters
Psychopharmacology is a field of science that seeks to understand the changes in the behavior following drug administration. Psychoactive drugs are derived from natural sources such as plants and animals, or can be synthesized in the laboratory. These drugs act on specific receptors in the nervous system. These drugs act to induce different psychological and physiological processes. The drugs alter the neurotransmission by acting as a precursor, preventing the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters. They also block or stimulate the post-synaptic receptors to alter the functions of neurotransmitters. The drugs acts on the hormones via altering hormonal secretion, secretion of some hormones or hormone altering the secretion of drug (Stahl, 2013). This paper focuses on psychopharmacologic drug use, pros, cons, and Neurotransmitters.
Pros and Cons of Psychopharmacologic Drugs
Psychopharmacologic medications come in different categories, each targeting a speficic mental disorder. Examples of drug classes of this category include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and psychedelics. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers are often prescribed in the United States to treat depression. Often if one medication does not work out for various reasons, a second or third pill will. Cons: Drugs may not be helpful, or they may not help as much as one would like them to, side effects such as sedation, digestive problems, sex problems, heart problems and difficulty sleeping are also a problem. Even at times finding a medication with an acceptable side-effect profile can be difficult. More so, drugs might take several weeks (perhaps 2-8) to have a positive effect. In addition, some of the second, third or fourth-line drugs can conceivably cause dependence (stimulants like amphetamine or methylphenidate; benzodiazepines). A few of the agents have other health risks, like possible liver damage and sudden cardiac death.
How Many People Are Using Psychotropic Now As Compared To 10 Years Ago?
According to a study conducted in 2013, at least 20 percent of adults are using psychotropic drugs now as compared to 10 percent of adults a decade ago (Moore & Mattison, 2017). Government reports using data collected since 2011 have indicated that more than 10 percent of adults take prescription drugs to treat issues related to emotions and mental health (Moore & Mat...