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Antipsychotic
Medications : A Guide
(below is the first excerpt from the guide)
Antipsychotic medications and schizophrenia
What are antipsychotic medications used for? Antipsychotic medications first appeared in the 1950s for the treatment of schizophrenia. They are used for both acute episodes and long-term stabilization. Before antipsychotics became available many people with schizophrenia were institutionalized because it was the only effective way of providing care. Antipsychotic medications are often effective in controlling many of the symptoms associated with schizophrenia. These drugs can also be helpful for treating conditions other than schizophrenia (e.g., mania, severe depression, aggression), but their main use is for schizophrenia.
What is schizophrenia? The acute phase of schizophrenia involves some disorganization of a person's functioning in several areas. People with this disorder often lose their grip on reality and feel confused, isolated, or terrified. There may be difficulty in communication and disturbances of logical thought.
Often delusions (firmly held false beliefs) and hallucinations (such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not present) occur. Delusions and hallucinations often have persecutory, religious, or grandiose themes, may deal with bodily concerns and thought control, and are frequently readily apparent (so-called "positive" symptoms). Hallucinations involving voices are most common. Other symptoms may include inappropriate or lessened emotion, loss of sense of identity, reduced motivation, and social withdrawal (so-called "negative" symptoms). There may be a lack of concern about self-care with deterioration in grooming and hygiene. Hospitalization is often necessary to begin treatment. After resolution of the acute phase, a chronic or residual phase often persists. This is characterized by deficits in social functioning, motivation, and coping abilities. Relapse into another acute episode can occur, particularly if antipsychotic medication is stopped and/or at times of stress. In addition, suicide is a serious concern; it is the cause of death in 10 to 20 percent of schizophrenic individuals.
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