Mental Health
Many Americans suffer from mental health conditions, including psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression, or anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Approximately one in four American adults suffers from a mental illness, though a smaller percentage, approximately one in 17 adults, suffers from a serious mental disorder.
Types of Mental Disorders
There are a wide variety of illnesses that are classified as mental disorders. The most common types of mental conditions include:
- Mood Disorders: Also known as affective disorders, mood disorders cause a patient to experience intense sadness or depression, feelings of extreme happiness or a fluctuation between the two extremes. Examples of mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder.
- Psychotic Disorders: Patients with psychotic disorders may experience distorted perceptions of reality, including hallucinations or delusions, that a patient believes are real. Examples of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia and paraphrenia.
- Personality Disorders: Personality disorders affect a patient’s general characteristics, often causing them to be antisocial or paranoid to a point that the patient may feel troubled and may experience problems in social situations. Examples of personality disorders include obsessive compulsive personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
- Eating Disorders: Patients suffering from eating disorders experience an abnormal concern over food and weight. Examples of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
- Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety disorders involve anxiety and fear that is often debilitating to patients. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder.
- Developmental Disorders: Developmental disorders surface during a child’s developmental stages. Examples of developmental disorders include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders.
Treatment of Mental Disorders
Medications
Mental health conditions may be treated in a variety of ways.
A doctor will often prescribe a specific mediation to help a patient suffering from a mental illness. Medications commonly utilized in the treatment of mental disorders include:
- Antidepressants: Used to treat mood disorders such as depression and anxiety
- Antipsychotics: Commonly used to treat psychosis conditions, including schizophrenia
- Anti-anxiety Agents (anxiolytics): Prescribed to treat patients with anxiety conditions
- Depressants: Typically used as sedatives and anesthetics and in the treatment of stress and insomnia
- Mood stabilizers: Used to manage mood disorders including bipolar disorder
- Stimulants: Affect mental function and alertness and treat conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy may also be utilized in the treatment of mental health conditions.
Psychotherapy involves speaking with a psychotherapist who builds a relationship with the patient while employing various techniques to help a patient handle the symptoms of their mental disorder and improve their mental health.
Additional Treatment
Patients suffering from mental health disorders may also undergo additional treatment, including:
- Electroconvulsive therapy
- Cognitive therapy
- Behavior therapy
- Counseling
- Psychoanalysis
Side Effects of Mental Health Medications
The side effects of medications utilized in the treatment of mental health conditions vary for different patients. Some will experience severe adverse reactions, while other may not notice side effects at all. General side effects associated with many mental health medications include:
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Rashes
- Sensitivity to sunlight
- Fatigue
Serious Side Effects
Additionally, certain medications are associated with serious side effects, including the side effects detailed below.
The use of antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft are linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and tendencies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires antidepressant medications to carry a Black Box warning to alert patients of the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults, though patients of all ages should be monitored for odd behavioral changes.
The potential for abuse of mental health medications is very real, as many patients feel dependent on the medications they take to treat their condition. Patients with a history of substance abuse should use mental health medications with extreme caution.
Tardive dyskinesia is a serious condition that can develop following the use of medications containing metoclopramide, a drug sold under brand names such as Reglan in the United States. Patients with tardive dyskinesia demonstrate tic-like movements, often affecting facial muscles, leading to symptoms such as lip smacking and eye twitching. Annually, 5 percent of those taking antipsychotics are diagnosed with tardive dyskinesia. Currently, there is no cure for tardive dyskinesia.
Diabetes, a chronic condition characterized by high blood sugar levels, has also been linked to the use of psychoactive medications, including olanzapine, sold under the brand name Zyprexa. Medical findings from research conducted at Duke University Medical Center in 2002 found that the average age of adults demonstrating signs of diabetes after taking the antipsychotic olanzapine was approximately 10 years younger than the typical age diabetes signs surfaced in the adult population.
The use of psychiatric medications, such as Abilify and Clozaril, is also associated with high blood sugar, a condition known as hyperglycemia. High blood sugar is a major contributor to complications associated with diabetes. If left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to a diabetic coma, known as ketoacidosis, which occurs when the body does not have enough insulin.
Precautions
Patients are strongly advised to speak with a doctor about side effects before beginning treatment for a mental health condition. A doctor will examine a patient’s medical history and physical condition before recommending the use of certain medications.
Patients should alert their doctor of the use of any other medications, vitamins, or supplements prior to beginning treatment, as certain drugs may affect the safety and efficacy of these medications.
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