PSYCH 630 Psychopharmacology Lecture Notes PDF

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PSYCH 630 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY LECTURE NOTES Psychopharmacology is the research of the impacts of medicines on the nervous system and actions. Medications are exogenous substances that are not needed for regular cellular operation that substantially modify the tasks of some units of the body when brought in comparatively low quantities. Medicines have effects, biological and social, and they have locations of act particles situated anywhere in that body with which they relate to create these impacts. Pharmacokinetics is the future of a drug as it is immersed into the body, spreads through the body, and gets its sites of act. Medications may be administered by blood, intraperitoneal, intramuscular, and intravenous dose; they may be administered orally, sublingually, interictally, by inhalation, and topically and may be injected intracerebrally or intracerebroventricularly. Lipid-doable medications simply by-pass via the life blood- brain barrier, whereas others pass by this barrier slowly or not at all. The time courses various routes of drug administration are different. (Carlson, 2013). Psychopharmacology can be defined as a scientific discipline focused on the study of pills that alter conduct and psychological work all through its act on the neuroendocrine method. Reference will also be made to the psychopharmacology of populations in specific life situations and to the psychopharmacology of patients with kidney or liver disease. Finally, some lines about the role of genetics in psychiatry and psychopharmacology will be outline as psychotropic drugs. A medication should get its location of act. Particles of the medicine be required to register the area and then enter the circulation and connect the particles with which they act. When here, they should leave behind and the arteries and meet the molecules with which they interact. This implies that the fragments of the prescription must go into the main nervous system. Approximately psychologically involved medications use their special effects on the minor nervous system, but these medications are less crucial to us than the drugs that involve cells of the central nervous system Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on the nervous system and behavior. Pharmacokinetics is the fate of a drug as it is absorbed into the body, circulates throughout the body, and reaches its sites of action (Carlson, 2013). The medications for psychotropic are meant to treat specific psychiatric disorder, enhance habilitative education and immediate control of disruptive behavior (Clark & Del Giudice, 2018). Therefore, it is important that the prescription of any psychotropic medication define and document the specific target behaviors or symptoms exhibited by the patient and assess the efficacy of reduction of the symptoms. The other principle requires psychiatric to adjust dosage basing on the report of the symptoms. In this case, if the patient has no cognitive ability to report accurately about the symptoms, the person doing the task needs to have a daily interaction with the patient and document frequency and severity of target symptoms. Another principle requires that the clinicians notice toxicity and interactions. In this case, the clinician needs to be aware of the manifestation of toxic side effects and take necessary actions. Knowing these principles is important because they help the clinicians to notice the progress of the patient and the effects that the drugs are exerting on the health of the patient. Those principles include: the routes of the administration of the drug and what happens to them in the body, the site of action, and the specific neurotransmitter and neuromodulars and the physiological and behavioral effects of the drugs. There are also certain areas that drugs can be

administered; IV, oral, inhaled, and topical are just a very of the way’s drugs can be administered (Carlson, 2013). Knowing the area of medications in the psychology world is very important. A psychologist deals with mental health and the way certain medications react with other medications is very important. A psychologist really must understand the medical field a little more than what I thought they had to. Without knowledge of medicines a psychologist can put a person in grave danger if prescribed the wrong stuff. According to The principals of principles of psychopharmacology consist of Pharmacokinetics, Routes of administration, Drug Effectiveness, Effects of Repeated Administration, and Placebo Effects (Carlson, 2013). Psychopharmacology is the study of how the body is effected by drugs within the nervous system. Also the behavior those drugs create in people. Pharmacokinetics is how drugs get to their destination or site of action in the body, this is called being absorbed. These drugs are metabolized or broken down for absorption in the body and to be sent to a specific destination in the body. Routes of administration are the many ways these drugs can enter the body. It can be through the veins, by mouth, inhalation, on the skin, down to the bone through layers of skin. Different drugs are absorbed at different time frames. Slow or fast adsorption. Drugs do not stay in the body forever, they are excreted through the kidneys or deactivated by enzymes in the body. Drug effectiveness is determined by giving smaller doses until the desired effect is reached and body weight helps to determine as well. Each type of drug effects different parts of the body. Neurons, pain receptors are examples. The effects of drugs are exhibited when they reach their sites of action only unless it is intracerebral or intracerebroventricular administration. The reaction is based on how fast the drugs reach blood. Repeated administration of a drug will eventually stop getting the same feeling, effects, and may require higher doses to get the same results. Placebo effect, a person thinks they are given a drug or substance The most important factors pertaining to psychopharmacology is the fact that professionals treat patients and students have the hopes of becoming a professional. Information concerning drugs that treat certain mental diseases and disorders. Each drug has the ability to interact with another. If the professional is not aware of theses interaction this could cause possible overdose or loss of life. So many new drugs are also available. Carlson also stated that “Many of the drugs described in this chapter have the potential for abuse.” (Carlson, 2013). This is also a concern in our day. Professional need to be able to determine if a person has built a tolerance for a drug or if they may be going through withdrawal. The theses principles teach the changes a drug produce in people. The principles provide details about how the brain is affected by drugs like opiates (Carlson, 2013). They also teach how to safely determine if a drug is producing the expected behaviors in a person’s body. All these things can be learned through psychopharmacology principle. It is important to understand route of administration for different drugs and medications (Carlson 2013). Many psychotropic medications are prescribed orally. This route, typically, allows for a buildup of the drug in a person's body. Patients may make the mistake of discontinuing medications because they do not see immediate results. A professional must be educated on these concepts in order to educate their patients or clients. The drug must be given an appropriate amount of time to build to the level it can accomplish its intended purpose.

Another aspect is that patients often discontinue medications after having taken them for several months. Their rationale is they feel better, so they feel they no longer need the medication. Stopping the medication does not always lead to an immediate negative effect. This sometimes takes several days, and patients experience a "crash" or withdrawal symptoms.

Working with clients with substance use disorders also requires education on routes of administration for common drugs of abuse. Understanding different substances and their methods of use is important because situations where someone may suffer fatal consequences may arise in the profession. Knowing when to call 911 in an emergency or to administer a lifesaving medication like Narcan, can literally be the difference between life and death. Understanding side effects of medications is also important, especially when side effects include severe feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts. Pharmacokinetics is a principle of psychopharmacology. It discusses the process that drugs absorb and distribute in the body, as well as, how they are metabolized and excreted (Carlson 2013). Understanding how these drugs are processed within the body is important to the field because one encounters clients who may be prescribed psychotropic medications and a professional must be able to assess the effectiveness of those medications. The program where I work focuses, mainly on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy concepts. Different medications our clients may be prescribed treat biological issues. If the biological problems are not dealt with appropriately, counseling may be less effective. A comparison would be going to the doctor for a sickness such as the flu or a cold. Most people do not immediately seek medical attention for a cold, and it is common knowledge that rest, and fluids are an appropriate response. If symptoms persist for an extended period, the most logical course of action would be to see a medical professional. Sometimes there is a deeper issue that requires intervention such as medication. The same concept applies when discussing mental health issues and psychotropic medications....