Psychotropic Drugs

Every day millions of people take psychiatric drugs. In Better Than Prozac Samuel Barondes considers the benefits and limitations of Prozac, Ritalin, Valium, Risperdal, and other widely used medications and the ways that superior ones are being created. In tracing the early history of these drugs Barondes describes the accidental observations that led to their discovery and their great impact on our view of mental illness. He goes on to show how their unexpected therapeutic effects were attributed to their influence on neurotransmitters that carry signals in the brain and how this guided their improvement. But Barondes reminds us that, like the originals, current psychiatric drugs don't always work, and often have negative side effects. Furthermore, none were crafted as remedies for known brain abnormalities. In contrast, the design of the drugs of the future will be based on a different approach: an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that give rise to specific patterns of mental symptoms. Using colorful examples of contemporary research, he shows how it is gradually leading to a new generation of psychiatric medications. A lucid evaluation of psychopharmacology, Better Than Prozac offers a deep understanding of psychiatric drugs for people who take them, those who are considering them, and those who are just fascinated by the powerful effects of these simple chemicals on our thoughts and our feelings.

Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than twenty million Americans but can these drugs do more harm than good?

While a doctor may take fifteen minutes to determine the need for a psychiatric drug, the patient may end up taking it for months, years, or a lifetime. We deserve to know the dangers in advance -- including the difficulties we may encounter when trying to withdraw. Your Drug May Be Your Problem is the only book to provide an up-to-date, uncensored description of the dangers involved in taking every kind of psychiatric medication, and it is the first and only book to explain how to coordinate a safe withdrawal from them.

This essential resource, written for social workers by a social worker, discusses the etiology, epidemiology, assessment, and intervention planning for common disorders. Austrian goes beyond a linear classification approach, instead emphasizing a broad bio-psychosocial ecosystems perspective, which takes into account each client's unique situation. In addition to including the most up-to-date information on new medications, biochemical data on disease causes, and diagnostic tests, the thoroughly updated second edition also gives an overview and critique of managed care as it relates to the treatment of mental disorders.

With its focus on wellbeing and healthy aging, this 5th edition emphasises the individuality of the aged and the humanistic and spiritual potential for further development later in life.