The psychotherapist's guide to psychopharmacology

The last twenty-five years have witnessed an explosion of knowledge about the influence of brain biochemistry on mood and behavior and about pharmacological approaches to treating mental and emotional disorders. A substantial portion of patients seen in clinical practice are taking some medication or might usefully be advised to do so. But many clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors need additional information in order to better treat patients already on medication, know when and to whom to refer new patients for psychiatric consultation, and work collaboratively with psychiatrists when appropriate. Michael J. Gitlin's indispensable first edition of The Psychotherapists Guide to Psychopharmacology has now been updated and revised ⁰́₄ this new second edition now reflects major changes that have influenced the clinical arena in the last five years such as the recent release of DSM-IV and the domination of the psychopharmacological field by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine (Prozac). The Psychotherapists Guide to Psychopharmacology, Second Edition also now includes coverage of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and contains updated sections on the new antipsychotics for schizophrenia and the increased use of anticonvulsant mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder. The book also includes other significant changes that have influenced the field over the last few years, such as brain imaging studies, research in obsessive compulsive disorder and social phobia, and such prominent topics in women's health as pregnancy, PMS, postpartum disorders, and breast feeding. This revision of an already established guide will again be an essential reference for all nonmedical professionals involved in treating mental and emotional disorders The last twenty-five years have witnessed an explosion of knowledge about the influence of brain biochemistry on mood and behavior and about pharmacological approaches to treating mental and emotional disorders. A substantial portion of patients seen in clinical practice are taking some medication or might usefully be advised to do so. But many clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors need additional information in order to better treat patients already on medication, know when and to whom to refer new patients for psychiatric consultation, and work collaboratively with psychiatrists when appropriate. Michael J. Gitlin's indispensable first edition of The Psychotherapists Guide to Psychopharmacology has now been updated and revised 0́4 this new second edition now reflects major changes that have influenced the clinical arena in the last five years such as the recent release of DSM-IV and the domination of the psychopharmacological field by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine (Prozac). The Psychotherapists Guide to Psychopharmacology, Second Edition also now includes coverage of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and contains updated sections on the new antipsychotics for schizophrenia and the increased use of anticonvulsant mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder. The book also includes other significant changes that have influenced the field over the last few years, such as brain imaging studies, research in obsessive compulsive disorder and social phobia, and such prominent topics in women's health as pregnancy, PMS, postpartum disorders, and breast feeding. This revision of an already established guide will again be an essential reference for all nonmedical professionals involved in treating mental and emotional disorders Aiming to close the gap between providers that prescribe medication and those that do not, Michael J. Gitlin gives professionals a source of information regarding the use of medication as a viable treatment option for psychiatric and psychological disorders. This comprehensive source of information about the medical aspects of modern psychiatry is the perfect step to understanding the use of prescriptions in treating psychological and psychiatric disorders for therapists who cannot or do not often prescribe psychotropic medications. Gitlin approaches psychopharmacology by looking at a psychiatric disorder and what medications could be used in its treatment, as well as by individually outlining medications and what disorders they can aid. Though written with clinical psychologist, social works, clinical therapists, and many other counselors in mind, The Psychotherapist's Guide to Psychopharmacology avoids the use of technical language and gives descriptions of the disorders for which medications are prescribed, making it a great resource for both professionals and anyone interested in the topic. Content: Diagnosis and treatment : basic principles -- Biological basis of psychopharmacology -- Mood disorders -- Anxiety disorders and insomnia -- Schizophrenia and related disorders -- Disorders of impulse control : eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, and Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) -- Personality disorders -- Treatment of special age-groups : childhood/adolescence, the elderly, and pregnant women -- Antidepressants -- Lithium and other mood stabilizers -- Antianxiety medications and hypnotics -- Antipsychotics -- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), stimulants -- The split treatment model : interactions between psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. In the last 20 years much work has been done on the influence of brain biochemistry on mood and behaviour and on pharmacological approaches to treating mental and emotional disorders. Partly as a result of this fact, a large proportion of patients who consult psychotherapists are already on medication of some sort. This book presents an overview of psychopharmacology for psychotherapists. It is designed to help them to treat patients in a way that takes into account the effects of the medication, and to recognize when some kind of pharmacological assistance might be useful in treating a disorder IN THE LAST THIRTY YEARS, we in the mental health field have witnessed a veritable explosion of new information that has shifted the emphasis from the more psychoanalytically based models and treatments that dominated psychiatry and psychology for the preceding thirty years to descriptive and biological ones. Presents an overview of psychopharmacology for psychotherapists. The book is designed to help them to treat patients in a way that takes into account the effects of the medication, and to recognize when some kind of pharmacological assistance might be useful in treating a disorder.