Many people consider stopping their psychiatric medications, but prescribers may not know how to do this in a collaborative, systematic way. This book describes the ins and outs of how clinicians can work closely with their patients to consider whether or not to try decreasing medications. It outlines the how and when, and gives recommendations on what the prescriber and patient may encounter along the way.

Both prescription and non-prescription medications used in medicine and psychiatry can cause a varietyof problems for those taking them, both in terms of their behavior and their ability to think. The first book to thoroughly examine how to recognize and manage the psychological side-effects of these medicines, this exhaustive work also provides a fingertip source of vital information for everyone from psychiatrists, primary care doctors and other medical subspecialty practitioners to students, residents and general readers. Noted physicians Thomas Markham Brown and Alan Stoudemire cover all of the major medications used in medicine and psychiatry, with full chapters on such topics as: * Antipsychotics* Antidepressants* Lithium* Anticonvulsants* Anesthetic agents* Sedative-Hypnotic and related agents* Antibiotics* Cardiovascular agents* Antineoplastic agents* Gastrointestinal agents* Pulmonary agents* Hematologic agents* Antilipemic agents* Drugs affecting the endocrine system Throughout this information-packed reference, the authors, noted physicians Thomas Markham Brown and Alan Stoudemire, cover all of the major medications used in medicine and psychiatry. They focus on the fundamental ways drugs cause cognitive toxicity and map strategies for clinical management. They also address the consequences of drug interactions and the basic pathophysiology of central nervous system toxicity. With the help of Psychiatric Side Effects of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications, readers will be able to quickly identify the ways drugs sometimes negatively affect behavior and ability to reason, and then determine the best practical course for treating those problems. A CD-ROM containing the complete contents of Psychiatric Side Effects of Prescription and Over the Counter Medications is included. Fully searchable, this CD-ROM is compatible on both MACINTOSH and WINDOWS systems.

In this stirring and beautifully written wake-up call, psychiatrist Daniel Carlat writes with bracing honesty about how psychiatry has so largely forsaken the practice of talk therapy for the seductive—and more lucrative—practice of simply prescribing drugs, with a host of deeply troubling consequences. Psychiatrist Daniel Carlat has noticed a pattern plaguing his profession. Psychiatrists have settled for treating symptoms rather than causes, embracing the apparent medical rigor of DSM diagnoses and prescription in place of learning the more challenging craft of therapeutic counseling, gaining only limited understanding of their patients’ lives. Talk therapy takes time, whereas the fifteen-minute "med check" allows for more patients and more insurance company reimbursement. Yet, DSM diagnoses, he shows, are premised on a good deal less science than we would think. Writing from an insider’s perspective, with refreshing forthrightness about his own daily struggles as a practitioner, Dr. Carlat shares a wealth of stories from his own practice and those of others that demonstrate the glaring shortcomings of the standard fifteen-minute patient visit. He also reveals the dangers of rampant diagnoses of bipolar disorder, ADHD, and other "popular" psychiatric disorders, and exposes the risks of the cocktails of medications so many patients are put on. Especially disturbing are the terrible consequences of overprescription of drugs to children of ever younger ages. Taking us on a tour of the world of pharmaceutical marketing, he also reveals the inner workings of collusion between psychiatrists and drug companies. Concluding with a road map for exactly how the profession should be reformed, Unhinged is vital reading for all those in treatment or considering it, as well as a stirring call to action for the large community of psychiatrists themselves. As physicians and drug companies continue to work together in disquieting and harmful ways, and as diagnoses—and misdiagnoses—of mental disorders skyrocket, it’s essential that Dr. Carlat’s bold call for reform is heeded.

This manual attempts to provide simple, adequate and evidence-based information to health care professionals in primary health care especially in low- and middle-income countries to be able to provide pharmacological treatment to persons with mental disorders. The manual contains basic principles of prescribing followed by chapters on medicines used in psychotic disorders; depressive disorders; bipolar disorders; generalized anxiety and sleep disorders; obsessive compulsive disorders and panic attacks; and alcohol and opioid dependence. The annexes provide information on evidence retrieval, assessment and synthesis and the peer view process.

The new edition of this popular handbook has been thoroughly updated to include the latest data concerning treatment of first-episode patients. Drawing from their experience, the authors discuss the presentation and assessment of the first psychotic episode and review the appropriate use of antipsychotic agents and psychosocial approaches in effective management.

In light of the recent emergence of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) on a global scale, this book provides a timely analysis of the social and economic impact of the NPS phenomenon, and of the global policy and regulatory responses to it. It presents the first comprehensive overview of the international regulation, policy and market structure of the NPS phenomenon, offering a guide to inform legislative discussions and demonstrating from a comparative perspective the different approaches used to address the rise of NPS to date. It covers topics such as organized crime, drug markets, clinical evidence on NPS, and different regulatory approaches also in less explored settings such as prisons and sport environments. Overall, this highly informative and well-structured repository of different experiences with NPS policy, law and regulation offers an essential primary source of evidence for anyone interested in the area of drug and NPS policy, health economics and p ublic health.