Successful Psychopharmacology

A guide for physicians and clinicians to understanding and choosing the proper psychiatric medications and for their patients who want to learn how this should be done. This book teaches mental health professionals how to choose and use psychotropic medications to address the biological etiology of psychiatric disease and mental health. It helps readers understand the key aspects of psychotherapy to deal with the psychosocial factors that prescribers need to know to use these medications within the context of the patient’s life. This book is based on the premise that all mental health—in the most symptomatic, impaired individual and in the most mentally healthy individual—is caused by a combination of biopsychosocial factors. Mental health professionals need to recognize and understand these factors and their interactions, and correct them. An understanding of all these factors, and of psychopharmacology, can lead to better treatment decisions. This book is for many readers: for psychiatrists who recognize the daily challenges in treating patients; for primary care physicians who identify psychiatric disorders in their patients; for non-medically-trained mental health professionals who want a more sophisticated understanding of psychopharmacology; and even for patients who want and need a better understanding of the medications their doctors have prescribed them.

How to recognize common obstacles to anxiety treatment and overcome complicating factors. Most people with mental health challenges of any kind are burdened by anxiety. In many cases, their anxiety symptoms are what prompt them to seek therapy in the first place. Unfortunately, these people also often have difficulty using standard anxiety treatment protocols, and problems heap upon themselves. When anxiety is tough to treat, dual conditions may be blocking treatment. This clinical casebook identifies symptoms that may indicate these obstacles, helping mental health professionals recognize conditions that coexist with anxiety—such as autism spectrum disorder, addiction, OCD, and depression. Margaret Wehrenberg breaks down this information into three parts: generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Each section describes a typical symptom pattern for each, how other disorders may complicate treatment, and examples of successful interventions. The book is organized by profiles of common conditions matched with an anxiety type, including "The Illogical Worrier" (generalized anxiety and OCD) and "The Meltdown Panicker" (panic disorder and autism spectrum disorder). Drawing from a career's worth of experience as a therapist supported by scholarly research, Tough-to-Treat Anxiety provides treatment methods for anxiety that resists remission. By highlighting commonly experience difficulties, this book jump starts the therapeutic journey to relief.

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common complaints in therapy and often clients suffer from both simultaneously. But where does depression end and anxiety begin, and vice versa? What is the most effective way to approach treatment? Margaret Wehrenberg presents key clinical strategies for managing this co-morbidity.

This handbook reviews current knowledge about developmental disabilities. It examines evidence-based practice, research, and policy issues related to developmental disabilities with consideration to recent developments in the field.

Bipolar disorder is one of the most common and disabling conditions affecting humankind. It is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, affecting millions of people. The illness is complex and dynamic, so that many individuals are misdiagnosed for years and clinicians struggle with identifying the most appropriate and successful treatment. Because it is complex and common, people suffering from bipolar disorder seek help from clinicians of all types - from psychiatrists, family doctors, gynecologists, and internists to psychologists, social workers and other therapists. For clinicians without significant experience with bipolar disorder, how to manage the condition can be mystifying. Even experienced psychiatrists will frequently find themselves uncertain of the best approach to a given individual with bipolar illness. This pocket-sized guide was specifically written with this diverse group of clinicians in mind. It provides a concise, practical and current overview of bipolar disorder, including making a correct diagnosis, identifying important medical and psychiatric comorbidities, and describing our current understanding of the epidemiology, genetics and neurobiology of the condition. In addition to these topics to provide context, the majority of the book is focused on a programmatic approach toward managing bipolar disorder, including discussions of specific subpopulations, such as children or women who are pregnant. The book may also be of interest for people with bipolar disorder and their families, to help guide treatment seeking and provide education about this sometimes mystifying condition. The author is an internationally recognized and trusted expert in the study and treatment of bipolar disorder, annually named a Best Doctor® and recognized by US News and World Report® as a Top 1% Psychiatrist, whose own extensive clinical experience working with people with bipolar disorder guides this book.

"Most books about psychopharmacology focus heavily on the basic science involved and describe the currently available medications, including brief rationales for their use as well as their dosages and their side effects. Others are more for the general public, intended to help them understand how psychopharmacology might be helpful. This book is different. The goal is to teach the reader what medicines are available and what their characteristics are as well as teach very valuable skills: how to think thoroughly and methodically when assessing a patient, when reviewing research data (both basic and clinical), and when thinking through, developing, and monitoring the most effective clinical recommendations for patients. Rather than a lesson in elementary patient assessment, this book is an attempt to help readers identify weaknesses in their practice style and improve them where psychopharmacology is involved"--

This text book is an essential resource representing the medical treatment of psychological disorders for the mental health professional. The book provides information concerning neuron and glia cell functions. Neuroinflammatory activation by stress is described and importance of two glia cells in the brain’s immune response to stress via the interaction with of cytokines which coordinates the immune response and activates neuroinflammation. This activation causes the expression of vulnerable phenotypes which produces the particular psychological disorder. Pharmacokinetics of psychotropic drugs are described in-terms of half-life, steady state, enzyme metabolism of the medication in the liver, and the production of active metabolites which dictates the psychological actions of the drug. The particular drug actions are discussed via down-stream transduction cascades in the neuron which actives or de-actives neuronal genes which leads to the psychotropic drug’s psychological actions. The book delineates the three main transporter genes of the Solute Carrier-6 (SLC6) gene family, which produces neurotransmitters and the therapeutic actions of psychotropic drugs. These neurotransmitters are: serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), acetylcholine (Ach), glutamate (Glu), and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). The drugs’ side-effects include, restless leg syndrome, hyponatremia, serotonin side-effects, malignant serotonin syndrome, anti-cholinergic side-effects, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), tardive dyskinesia (TD), neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and suicide risk. This section of the book concludes with a discussion of negative drug effects on dental health, diet, and physical complications. The remainder of the text discusses psychological disorders, diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, theoretical models, genetics, neuroanatomy, psychological treatment, and the particular medication used to treat the disorder. For each psychotropic drug the following are provided: dosage, titration, taper, time to work, neurotransmitter profile, specific side effects, enzymes, and metabolites. Switching from one drug to other schedules are listed, along with diagnosis treatment resistant medication strategies. A sample of psychotropic drugs include: Schizophrenia (clozapine, risperidone, paliperidone, and others), anxiety disorders (diazepam, clonazepam, lorazepam, etc.), anti-depressants (fluoxetine, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, etc), bipolar disorders (mood stabilizers: lithium, valproic acid, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, etc., and anti-psychotics: aripiprazole, lurasidone, rexulti, and cariprazine), Alzheimer Disease (rivastigmine, donepezil, memantine, aducanumab-avwa, et al.), Attention Deficit Disorder (amphetamine D, methylphenidate, etc.), sleep dysfunctions (suvorexant, exzopiclone, zolpidem, benzodiazepines, etc), and addiction (Eating: naltrexone + bupropion, tirzepatide, etc; Smoking: bupropion; Alcohol: disulfiram, naltrexone, etc; and Opioid: methadone, buprenex + naloxone, etc). The text book concludes with a discussion of psychotropic treatment of children and the elderly, including drug dosing adjustments.