Psychopharmacology: The History, Techniques and Practical Application in Schizophrenia
Where would the world be without the use of medical drugs in psychology today? There is no question that the uses of drugs in psychology has aided in the abatement of the symptoms from mental disorders and causes relief for many people. With that being said the history, theorist, techniques and practical applications of psychopharmacology on schizophrenia are important part of psychological history.
Pharmacopsychology, a term now known as psychopharmacology, as defined by Psychology Today is the use of drugs such as antipsychotics and antidepressants to aid in the dissipation of symptoms that can accompany a mental disorder. The use of psychedelics as a treatment for mental discomfort is far from a new concept. For thousands of years many tribes and hunter-gatherer societies have favored the use of natural psychedelics. Depending upon the society, different plants and herbs where used for a variety of mental symptoms. . According to, Muller and Steinberg authors of The origin of pharmacopsychology: Emil Kreapelin’s experiments in Leipzig, Dorpat and Heidelberg (1882-1892), “the term “psychopharmacology” was first used in the early twentieth century, and the modern history of psychopharmacology starts with the synthesis of chlorpromazine in 1950”. Much like the societies before us, psychopharmacology started with the curative and recreational use of plant based drugs such as tea, coffee, coca leaves, tobacco, alcohol and opium.
As one of the founding researchers who experimented with the effects drugs have on the human psyche, Emil Kraepelin(1856-1926) played a pivotal role in the development of pharmacolog...
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...are used to treat hallucinations and delusions that are not alleviated with the use of antipsychotic drugs. (The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, 2005)
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Ulrich Muller, P. C. (2005). The origin of pharmacopsychology: Emil Kraepelin's experiments in Leipzig, Dorpat and Heidelbertg (1882-1892). Springer Science & Business , 131-138.
During a visit to Mexico, Gordon Wasson, a mycologist, discovered the use of psilocybin mushroom in spiritual ceremonies by Indian tribes. Upon experiencing the spiritual and hallucinatory effects of the mushroom, Wasson returned to the area accompanied by an experienced mycologist, Roger Heim, who managed to cultivate the mushroom once in France and send samples of it to the scientist who had discovered lysergic acid, Albert Hoffman. From the mushrooms, Hoffman successfully isolated two compounds which he further named psilocybin and psilocin. Analogs of these compounds were further synthesized and were employed mainly for psychotherapeutic uses. Many tests on psilocybin were made at Harvard University in the early 1960’s. However, along with LSD, psilocybin became a scheduled substance in 1970, making it illegal. During this time, psilocybin mushrooms became a part of the psychedelic and hippy movement and were used for recreational and spiritual purposes. Research on psilocybin ended in the late 1980’s because of strict rules imposed by the government but recently scientist have started researching on this chemical once more.
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According to Gamble and Brennan (2000), the effectiveness of medication for schizophrenia to relieve patients from psychotic symptoms is limited. Although patients have adequate medication, some received little or no benefit from it and almost half of them still experience psychotic symptoms. They are also more likely to suffer relapse (Gamble and Brennan, 2000). Furthermore, Valmaggia, et al. (2005) found that 50% of patients who fully adhere to anti-psychotic medication regimes still have ongoing positi...
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German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin, in the late 1800s, which was used to describe all mood
BIBLIOGRAPHY Arasse, Daniel. Complete Guide to Mental Health. Allen Lane Press,New York, 1989. Gingerich, Susan. Coping With Schizophrenia. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Oakland, 1994. Kass, Stephen. Schizophrenia: The Facts. Oxford University Press. New York, 1997. Muesen, Kim. “Schizophrenia”. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Microsoft Corporation, 1998. Young, Patrick. The Encyclopedia od Health, Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment. Herrington Publications. New York, 1991.
A largely debated topic in today's society is whether or not psychedelic drugs should be legalized for medicinal purposes and if they should, how this legalization would affect the communities in which they’re being prominently medicinally used. Although many scientists have argued that psychedelics pose a mental health risk, closer examination shows that communities would have a significantly lower depression rate if certain psychedelics were legalized. Now to fully understand how psychedelics could be beneficial or the opposite thereof, you’ll need to understand how they work and what they are. What a psychedelic drug is, the immediate effects, both mentally and physically, and how communities might benefit and function with the sudden use of these drugs.
In certain circumstances, the consumption of drugs might have had originated because of a psychological disorder that needed drugs in order for t...
Schmied, L. A., Steinberg, H., & Sykes, E. A. B. (2006). Psychopharmacology's debt to experimental psychology. History of Psychology, 9, 144-157.
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New drugs are being made in order to address the issue of undesirable and intolerable side effects of conventional antipsychotic drugs. Works Cited Comer, R. J. & Co., Inc. (2011). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology. New York, NY. Worth Publishers Nasar, S. (2001).A beautiful mind: the life of mathematical genius and Nobel laureate John Nash.
Pre-Columbian Mexicans used many substances, from tobacco to mind-expanding (hallucinogenic) plants, in their medicinal collections. The most fascinating of these substances are sacred mushrooms, used in religious ceremonies to induce altered states of mind, not just drunkenness.