Medical treatment of mental illness

Medication for treating mental illness is generally referred to as psychotropic drugs.
It is absolutely nothing new that we can affect our psyche by taking various drugs.
As an example, just think of alcohol or other intoxicants that we have known for centuries.
In modern psychiatry we are able to provide very precise therapy by using medication, either as the only therapy or – as is mostly the case – in addition to other forms of therapy.

There can for example be conversation therapy, either individually or in groups.
There can be psycho-education, which means learning about the illness and how to live with it, as well as many different forms of support in the local environment that is not part of psychiatric care.
Sometimes preliminary treatment with medication is necessary to recover sufficiently, so that the remaining therapy and support can be effective.

Basically, all psychotropic drugs work by affecting the nervous system.
This takes place in various ways.
Simply stated, the drug either promotes or inhibits communication between cells.
In many cases, it therefore helps normalize a possible imbalance which has arisen due to the mental illness.

As we all know, there are of course many different kinds of mental illness, and therefore many different kinds of psychotropic drugs.
It can be difficult to find your way around such a large offering.
The drugs can be divided into some main groups, and here we are going to try to list some of those that are most commonly used in psychiatric care.

Medication for depression, which is what we call antidepressant drugs, can help put a damper on your symptoms during the time the illness is affecting you.
In addition to treating depression, this medication has also proved to be very effective against a number of anxiety disorders, such as panic anxiety attacks, social phobia and OCD, which means compulsive thoughts and actions.
The medication could therefore just as well be called medication against depression and anxiety.

Medication for psychosis are called anti-psychotic drugs.
A psychosis is a condition where the brain is overwhelmed by sensory input, and where it is hard to distinguish between reality and imagination.
At times you can also have a distorted perception of what is happening around you.
In this case, the drug works so that the brain becomes better at sorting the many ideas and impressions that affect you.

Then there is mood-stabilising medication.
Some people suffer from violent mood swings.
This used to be called manic-depressive illness.
Today we call it bipolar affective mental disorder.
In this case you have periods where you are depressed, alternating with periods where everything happens much too fast.
For example, you may sleep badly and you can be hyperactive.
The best known medication in this group is called lithium.
The medication can also be used to prevent repeated depression, if you are disposed to develop that.

Tranquillizers and anti-anxiety medication consists of old and well-known drugs such as stesolid and oxapax.
They work quickly and efficiently against anxiety and insomnia.
But you develop tolerance to the drug quickly, and many develop an addiction that is hard to kick.
We are therefore very reluctant to use this medication for more than a few days or no more than a few weeks, and never as the only form of therapy.

As I have mentioned earlier, psychotropic drugs can rarely stand alone.
For this reason you have to speak with your therapist about what else needs to be done, or what you can do yourself apart from taking the medication.
It is also important that you take the medication regularly and in the dosage you have agreed with your doctor.
Do not start experimenting by yourself.

All medication has side effects and this also applies to psychotropic drugs.
It is therefore often necessary that you examine with your doctor the most frequent side effects of precisely the drugs you have to take.
You also have to talk about what to do if you experience side effects.
Typical side effects of psychotropic drugs can be weight gain, nausea or headaches.
Your sexuality can also be affected. Fortunately, the side effects are often mild or they pass after some time.

Some medication needs a long time before it works.
It can be quite normal that you do not feel an improvement right away. How long you have to take the medication can be difficult to determine at the beginning of the treatment.
It depends on your diagnosis and the symptoms you have.

As with some physical diseases, there are those who may need to take the medication for the rest of their life.
Others only have to take the medication for some months or years.
And then there are others that may have the drug sitting in the cabinet and take it off and on as needed.

When the time comes for you to stop taking the medication, it is often necessary to phase the drug out slowly, because the body must have time to get used to being without medication.

You should be aware that if you take psychotropic drugs you need to take it into account under certain circumstances.
This applies for example if you are or plan to become pregnant, or have to breastfeed.
It can also be necessary if you drive a car or operate machinery.
The medication may also have unintended side effects if you smoke, drink alcohol or take other kinds of medication in general.
Talk to your doctor about how long you have to take the medication and what you should be aware of in relation to the medication you are taking.