Question

essay short answers 4- 5 sentence

1. An individual is taking powerful antipsychotic medications to control delusions and hearing voices that no one else can hear. What disorder does this person likely have? Will the medications cure the patient of their disorder? What side-effects is the person likely to experience with long-term use of the medication?

2. During the winter month, Randy often feels depressed, has little energy, and craves starchy and sugary foods. During the summer months, these symptoms tend to disappear. What disorder is Randy likely experiencing? What treatment is most likely to be recommended for this disorder? Where does Randy likely live?

3. Describe the current controversy of prescribing antidepressants to treat depression. Be sure to include for whom antidepressants work, for whom they do not work, and how that information relates to how often the drugs are prescribed

Answer 1

1.(a) This individual has Schizophrenia disorder.
The most common symptoms of schizophrenia are Hallucinations and delusions.

Hallucinations can be defined as the various experiences & sensations that are not quiet comprehensible to other people. To the person who is experiencing them, it may seem quiet very real, urgent, and vivid experiences and sensations.

Auditory hallucinations are the most common form of hallucination that is experienced by people with schizophrenia. This may include hearing voices, sometimes multiple voices and other times other sounds like whispering or murmuring. These Voices may seem angry or urgent and often make demands upon the hallucinating person to get things done the way they want it.

Delusions can be defined as the beliefs that tend to be in conflict with the reality. They are one of the most common symptoms of schizophrenia.
(b) Schizophrenia is a disorder that requires lifelong treatment. The treatment remains even when the symptoms have subsided or reduced.
Medication, therapy, psychoeducation, and family support can make a difference for tge treatment of schizophrenia. These symptoms of the individual may never disappear completely, but the people troubled by these problems can be taught on how they can manage them.

Treatment Of schizophrenia with medications and psychosocial therapy tends to help in managing the condition. Hospitalization may be needed In some conditions.
The most commonly prescribed drugs for schizophrenia are the Antipsychotic medications.
These medications are thought to help in controling the symptoms by affecting the various brain neurotransmitter dopamine.
The priority of treatment with antipsychotic medications is to effectively manage/ reduce the signs and symptoms of the disorder at the lowest possible dose that could be given.

(c)

Although these antipsychotic medications are quiet effective. Some of them have side effects. These side effects include several types of movement disorders, weight gain and effects on sugar and lipid regulation. Theantipsychotic medications may actually increase the risk of having a stroke and are also associated with higher rates of death in the elderly people.
Studies suggest that, some Antipsychotics are associated with the possible cortical reconfiguration and lead to gray matter loss.
But on the other hand , the correlational data suggests that the patients who tend to consume/intake the Antipsychotics, like Schizophrenics, they have a tendency to indulge in unhealthy habits such as smoking or even unhealthy eating patterns which may lead to exacerbation of gray matter loss in the brain.
The Medications for schizophrenia can also cause serious side effects.
The newer, advanced ,second-generation medications are usually preferred as they tend to pose a lower risk of serious side effects than the effects of the first-generation antipsychotics.
These old, first-generation antipsychotics have higher and potentially significant neurological side effects. Which includes the probability of developing a movement disorder like tardive dyskinesia that can or cannot be reversible.

2.(a) Randy is experiencing the Seasonal Affective Disorder (Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern)

(b). The doctor can offer the following treatment options for randy to recover. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) SAD can be treated with counseling and therapy.
Another treatment for winter-time SAD is known as the light therapy. This therapy involves using a specialized light box( or visor)for at least half an hour every day inorder to replicate the natural light.
Another treatment option that can be given is a dawn simulator. The dawn stimulator makes use of a timer-activated light inorder to mimic the sunrise. This helps the individual to stimulate the body’s clock rhythm.
The Light therapy should be used only under the doctor’s supervision and also on the approved devices.
Healthy lifestyle habits can also be altered inorder to help the individual minimize SAD symptoms. These alterations can include:
healthy diet with lean protein, fruits, and vegetables
exercise and
regular sleep
Some people tend to profit from medications such as antidepressants. These medications include fluoxetine (Prozac) and bupropion (Wellbutrin).

(c) The people who live in parts of the country that have long winter nights (due to the higher latitudes) and less sunlight are more likely to experience or have the condition.
For example, SAD is said to be more common in Canada and Alaska and hence randy could belong to such country's.

3. a)The World Health Organization(WHO) has recognized adolescent depression as one of the key major areas for the diagnosis and the treatment in low and middle income countries.
Timely identification and the treatment of the youth is very critical. And Over the past decade the use of antidepressants in children and adolescents has increased widespread public concern and debate.
Given that About half of all adolescents with current MDD will have a consequent depressive episode over next five years. The Paediatric MDD is debatably the most highest risk factor for suicide and it also tends to account for more than half of adolescent suicides
The pressing Evidence that antidepressant treatments help in increasing the effeciency of the quality of life among the children and adolescents with the depressive or anxiety disorders is not yet finalized. There has been a need for more research in this regard.
In summary, we can tell that the evidence which is in sync to the risk–benefit factor of antidepressants is still pretty contradictory. Improvizing by closing the various knowledge gaps in the cost-effecient diagnosis, treatment and prevention of child and adolescent MDD(major depressive disorder) by using a family based approach remains a priority.

b)Antidepressants Work, But Only For Really Depressed People
For More than half of the people who tend to take antidepressants for depression never actually get any relief. According to new research, this is because, the cause of depression has been oversimplified and the various drugs that are designed to treat it actually aim at the wrong target.
These antidepressant medications are similar to the arrows shot at the outer rings of a bull's eye instead of the center.
Many people who get the label Major Depressive Disorder. When actually, even though their presentation or condition isn't actually 'Major', or it isn't really 'Depressive', or it isn't really 'Disorder'.
A Mild sadness in the reaction to stress and disappointment is lumped and summed together with the most severe suffering which is known to man.
The people who are suffering from depression actually improve after taking antidepressants.
But ther is evidence from research that suggests that much of this improvement is a actually a placebo response.  
These Antidepressants do work in the sense and way that many patients in clinical practice show substantial improvement.  

The FDA had warned about the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior. Which could be more in children and adolescents who are taking depression drugs.
In 2007, this warning was elaborated to include anyone under age of 25 , who are taking the antidepressants.
Inorder to balance the various risks and the benefits of antidepressants, the FDA’s so-called black box warning was implemented. This states that the depression in itself is related with a greater risk for suicide. However, if you a person is taking an antidepressant, especially if they are under 25, they must let their doctor know let if their depression seems to be getting worse or if they have any thoughts of hurting themselves.
It can take up to 12 weeks before these antidepressant drugs have their full effect.For Some people need to take various doses and combinations of the various different medications before they actually find out the treatment strategy that works best for them, according to NAMI.

It’s quiet important to take these antidepressants as and how it has been prescribed and also to follow up with the mental health professional on a regular basis.