Drug therapies

• Drug therapies 


  aims to increase or decrease level of neurotransmitters in the brain. Drugs work in various way to increase level of serotonin.
• SSRI'S


  are antidepressant drug. It works with serotonin and travels across the synapse. It prevents the reabsorption of serotonin in pre-synaptic neuron so stays in synapse and travels along post synaptic neuron so increases concentration of serotonin and reduced OCD symptoms.
• Combining SSRI's with CBT


  the SSRI's reduce patients emotional symptoms and means patients can engage more effectively with the therapy.
• Alternative methods to SSRI's:


  -Triglycerides: have same effects as SSRI's. Clomipramine has more severe side effects and are reserved for patients who don't respond to SSRI's.

  -SNRI's are next if you don't respond to SSRI's as it increases level of serotonin as well as other neurotransmitters.
• Evaluation of drug therapies:

  +drug therapy is effective at tackling OCD symptoms: SSRI's reduce severity of OCD symptoms. Soomro at al compared SSRI's to a placebo drug. 17 studies showed better results for SSRI's than placebo and is most effective when paired with CBT.

  -unreliable evidence: some psychologists believe the evidence is bias as research is funded by drug companies and don't report all evidence.
• Evaluation of drug therapies:

  -side effects: SSRI's have side effects that may be considered worse than the disorder. These side effects stop some people having that treatment and some people experience symptoms after SSRI treatment has stopped. Can have long-term side effects.

  -treating the symptoms not the cause: the drugs alleviate symptoms but fail to know the actual problem. When drug treatment stops, symptoms reappear suggesting the drug is not solving the problem.