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Psychotropic drugs are very common in therapies with a psychiatrist. And they are used mostly to treat symptoms of disorders in people. However, this kind of intervention for mental disorders poses some drawbacks and risks to take into account. Not all are advantages and positive aspects.
What are psychotropic drugs and what are the benefits ?
They are drugs that, due to the effects on the body that they produce when interacting with the nervous system, are considered to have potential as a therapeutic resource for problems addressed by psychiatry and, by extension, clinical psychology.
Thus, a psychotropic drug is a substance that is capable of helping patients suffering from disorders. For example, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, schizophrenia, etc.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that not all substances capable of producing changes at a psychological level are considered psychotropic.
For example, there are some that do not produce strong enough effects to be considered drugs like coffee, but there are others that do generate very powerful effects, but have no potential as therapy resources, and therefore, they are not considered drugs.
Advantages of using psychotropic drugs in therapy
We will give you a brief summary of the positive aspects of using psychotropic drugs in the treatment of psychopathologies. In a later section we will see what are the drawbacks of its use.
- They make it possible to prevent the appearance of the most dangerous symptoms of psychopathology.
In many mental disorders in which there are a series of especially dangerous symptoms that, beyond the short and medium term goals, must be suppressed. For example, the psychotic crises that occur in the diseases of the spectrum of schizophrenia, the manic phases of bipolar disorder, etc.
Well used psychotropic drugs can help combat the appearance of these symptoms. Although for this they must be combined with the adoption of other measures. For example, in the case of bipolar disorder. It is often important to maintain controlled and stable sleep schedules. - They allow to obtain very significant changes in a short time.
While psychotherapy seeks to obtain results especially in the medium and long term. The use of psychotropic drugs allows you to see results in a matter of a few weeks.
In this way, combined with both forms of intervention in mental health, at first, psychotropic drugs can be used to stabilize the person and motivate the idea of overcoming their disorder, and later allow psychotherapy to internalize patterns of behavior. behavior and management of thoughts and emotions to provide you with long-term solutions. - The use of the drugs is relatively simple.
Although the use of psychotropic drugs should always be monitored under the doctor’s instructions. Taking into account the times of administration and the amounts indicated by the professional, beyond that its use does not have too much mystery. It can be done in a matter of seconds, simply by taking a few pills. This means that, beyond the price of these drugs, which depends on each country, this type of treatment is very accessible from the beginning and generally does not require special training.
Disadvantages of the use of psychotropic drugs.
These are the disadvantages of using psychotropic drugs in treatment.
- Side effects can be deadly.
Psychotropic drugs are substances that trigger complex reactions in the body, so you always have to pay attention to the possible harmful side effects that they can generate. Of course, doctors give instructions for the administration of these drugs that minimize the risks, but in case of detecting unwanted and unexpected effects, it must be communicated immediately so that the use of other types of drugs is considered. Or change the dose.
- It does not produce the behavioral changes to overcome the disorder.
The purpose of psychotropic drugs has to do with mitigating or suppressing symptoms. But not with helping the person adopt habits and routines that help combat the root of the disorder.
The latter is the task of psychotherapy, in which the person takes an active role in identifying the triggers of their discomfort and the strategies they can follow to put an end to them.
- In some cases, an addiction can develop.
Many psychotropic drugs have addictive potential. This means that people who take them can get hooked on them if they don’t follow the medical instructions to the letter.
That is why it is important to be very clear about what times the drugs should be taken and the exact amounts and of course, not to go outside these guidelines.
