Borderline Schizophrenia
Antipsychotic drugs are frequently used to treat psychotic symptoms like hallucinations and delusions. Although they cannot treat psychosis, they can aid in managing and minimizing its symptoms. Bipolar illness, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and several personality disorders are among the ailments that might present with psychotic symptoms.
How Antipsychotic Medications Work?
Dopamine is thought to have a role in the emergence of psychosis, and antipsychotic drugs function by lowering dopamine levels in the brain. Antipsychotic drugs come in two primary categories that are used to address mental health issues.
- First-gen drugs that have been introduced in the 50s.
- Second-generation antipsychotics, which have been around since the 1990s, are favored because they have less side effects and a lower risk of “tardive dyskinesia” (uncontrolled body movements).
Administration of Antipsychotic Drugs
Although they are also offered in liquid or syrup form, as well as injections, antipsychotic drugs are commonly taken as tablets.
Depot injections can be helpful for those who have trouble remembering to take their medicine on time or who have trouble swallowing tablets since they remove the need to remember to take medication on schedule or calculate the right amount.
It is imperative to discuss your treatment options with your doctor in order to choose the one that is best for you.
Side Effects of Antipsychotics
Side effects of antipsychotic drugs can include dry mouth, drowsiness, weight gain, blurred vision, and affect movement. You should talk to your medical physician if you have any concerns about the adverse effects you are experiencing. Your doctor may alter the medication’s dosage, recommend an alternative drug, or advise taking it at a different time of day to control or reduce adverse effects.
Drugs that treat the symptoms of psychosis but not the underlying illness are known as antipsychotics. Antipsychotic drugs come in two varieties: conventional and atypical, and they both function by lowering the quantity of dopamine in the brain.
It is essential to discuss all of your treatment choices with your doctor in order to determine the best course of action. Without consulting a mental health professional, abruptly stopping antipsychotic medication has the risk of making psychotic symptoms resurface.