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Are Mental Health Problems Preventable?
Psychotic disorders refer to a group of mental disorders that affects the behaviour and actions of the people who have them. Also known as psychosis, psychotic disorders make it tough for people to think clearly and coherently or to make appropriate responses to the things that people say and do.
There are many different types of psychotic disorders, and they all affect people differently. However, because all psychotic disorders stem from problems with the mind rather than the body, they’re usually treated with a combination of therapy, counselling, and medications.
Medications area the most common form of treatment for most psychotic disorders. More specifically, doctors typically use anti-psychotic medications because of how they alter the hormone levels of the brain. By affecting these hormones, anti-psychotic medications can offset the changes that your condition is causing and help you function at normal levels. There are two different types of anti-psychotic medications that doctors use to treat psychotic disorders.
Also known as first-generation antipsychotics, typical antipsychotics are the original medications used to treat psychotic disorders. Typical antipsychotics block certain dopamine receptors in the brain. Blocking dopamine receptors is necessary to prevent overstimulation of the neuroreceptors, which is the main reason that people have psychotic disorders.
Despite their name, typical antipsychotics are not “typically” used anymore to treat psychotic disorders. Newer drugs, known as atypical antipsychotics, are more effective and have fewer side effects. Common, typical antipsychotics still used, however, include chlorpromazine, flupenthixol, fluphenazine, haloperidol, loxapine, perphenazine, and pimozide.
In addition to blocking dopamine receptors in the brain, atypical (second-generation) antipsychotics do much more. Atypical antipsychotics also block serotonin receptors and muscarinic receptors. In so doing, atypical antipsychotics help to normalize the limbic area in your brain without having ill effects on any other part.
This, in turn, makes their effect more prominent while also resulting in fewer side effects. The most commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotics to treat psychotic disorders include aripiprazole, asenapine, clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone.
Although atypical antipsychotics have fewer side effects than typical ones, all antipsychotic medications have potential unwanted side effects, including the following.
Because of these side effects, it’s important for people with psychotic disorders to seek other forms of treatment once they have a handle on their condition. However, because successful long-term treatments are limited, most people with serious psychotic disorders have to take antipsychotic medications for their entire lives.
In addition to medications, psychotherapy is the other common treatment for psychotic disorders. Psychotherapy includes a combination of mental treatments, including cognitive-behavioural therapy, counselling, and individualized resiliency training.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy for psychosis involves one-on-one sessions with a professional counsellor or psychologist. The goal is to help you understand your condition, notice the symptoms, accept yourself, and work on not letting your condition rule your life.
Individualized resiliency training is geared toward helping you understand your condition and find ways to control it. This form of therapy will also help you learn to interact with people and teach you how to behave in social settings. Professional counselling is also a good way for you to work through your condition and talk about your frustrations in a safe space.
Although it’s possible to live in seclusion with a psychotic disorder, you’ll find that it’s much easier to cope with when you have social support. Friends, family, fellow sufferers, and doctors will help you understand that you’re not alone and that there are people who love you and want to help you.
Because of their nature, psychotic disorders are some of the least understood ailments known to man. While treatment has come a long way, and medications and psychotherapy can help you live a fairly normal life, there’s hope that treatments developed in the future will be even more effective. For now, however, you should seek a medical diagnosis and professional help if you or someone you love has a psychotic disorder.