Drug Therapies

Psychopharmacology is the field of study focused on the use of medications to impact neurological functioning and behaviors. Psychotropic medications, used in consultation with medical professionals, are tools to address the symptoms of major psychiatric disorders. As you learned in your assigned reading from the text in this unit, there are many classes and types of drugs used by medical professionals. For this discussion, select one type of drug therapy (antipsychotic, antidepressant, or antianxiety) and address the following, using headings to match content in each bullet point:

• Specific symptoms and their intensity that would indicate a consultation may be appropriate.
• Side effects that may interfere with taking medications as directed.
• Potential benefits a partner or family member may notice.

It is highly encouraged that you create section headers for each discussion based on the required content. This helps ensure that peers and your instructor will see that you addressed all required content clearly. Support your ideas with references to the course texts, articles from this learning unit, articles from the Optional Readings, or articles from peer-reviewed journals that you locate in the Capella University Library.

Response Guidelines

Respond to the initial discussion post of one other learner who selected a different drug type than you. What reactions do you have to the ideas the learner has presented? Include examples from your own experience to support your perspective, and raise questions to continue the dialogue.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

• Identify the role of psychopharmacological interventions by medical professionals.
• Explore how a systemic view impacts the assessment process.
• Use language appropriate for a counseling professional.
• Cite and reference resources, giving appropriate credit for another’s work.

Resources

• Discussion Participation Scoring Guide.
• Capella University Library.
• How Do I Find Peer-Reviewed Articles?
• Masters in Counseling – Research Guide.
• APA Style and Format.