TREATMENT

• Drug treatments involving drugs – chemicals effecting functioning of the brain or other parts of the body. For psychological disorders, drugs usually affect neurotransmitter levels. 

   

   

   
• SSRI’S:

  - Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors 

  - Serotonin released from neurones in the brain 

  - Released by pre-synaptic neurone and travel along a synapse

  - Neurotransmitter conveys signal from pre-synaptic to post-synaptic neurone

  - Serotonin reabsorbed by pre-synaptic neurone – where it is broken down and released 

  - SSRI’s prevents reabsorption and break down to increase levels of serotonin in synapse = constantly stimulating the pre-synaptic neurone 
• Combining SSRI’s with other treatments :

  - Drugs used alongside CBT to treat OCD

  - Theses drugs reduce patients emotional symptoms (e.g. anxiety)

  - Therefore, patients would be more engaging, leading to a more effective CBT session
• Alternatives to SSRI’s:

  - TRICYCLICS = older type of antidepressant. Same effect as SSRI’s. More sever side effects than SSRIs. Therefore, only used when patient doesn’t respond well to SSRI. 

  - SNRIs = selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. Different class of antidepressant drug. Only used when SSRI isn’t working well with patient. Increases serotonin, as well as noradrenaline (another neurotransmitter). 
•  LIMITATION – serious side effects. May help some people but small minority will get no benefit. Some side effects include digestion problems, low sex drive, blurry vision. Side effects are usually temporary, however for some are long-lasting. Drug therapy could be distressing for those suffering from serious side effects and would reduce their quality of life. Some people stop taking them altogether – therefore, ceasing to be effective. 
• · LIMITATION – not always effective + appropriate. Not all cases of OCD are due to biological causes. Drugs may not always be the best form of therapy for those who are developed OCD due to environmental causes. Drug therapy wouldn’t help people who have developed OCD due to trauma, as it wouldn’t challenge their thinking. Therefore, for certain cases it would be better to use psychological therapies. Suggesting drug therapy is not always effective. 
• · STRENGTH – cost-effective and non-disruptive. Cheap compared to many psychological treatments. Many thousands of doses of drugs can be made during 1 therapy session. Therefore, good for large health systems with limited funding, like the NHS. Non-disruptive as simply take the drug and carry on with everyday life, as symptoms reduce. Better than attending long therapy sessions. Favoured by patients + doctors.