ap psych mental health treatment page

Antipsychotics

Drugs that treat schizophrenia by blocking dopamine and reducing hallucinations and delusions

Thorazine, Risperdal, Zyprexa, Abilify

Examples of antipsychotic medications used to treat schizophrenia

Clozapine

An antipsychotic that helps improve negative symptoms like apathy and withdrawal

Side Effects of Antipsychotics

Parkinson-like symptoms such as tremors, sluggishness, and twitches

Anti-Anxiety Drugs

Drugs that reduce anxiety by depressing central nervous system activity

Valium, Xanax, Ativan

Examples of anti-anxiety medications

Antidepressants

Drugs that increase serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine to treat depression

SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; most commonly prescribed antidepressants with fewer side effects

Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft

Examples of SSRIs

MAOIs

Antidepressants that block the breakdown of serotonin and norepinephrine; can have dangerous interactions

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Older antidepressants that increase neurotransmitters but have more side effects

Mood Stabilizers

Drugs used to treat bipolar disorder by stabilizing mood swings

Lithium

A common mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A treatment using electrical currents to treat severe depression when other treatments fail

ECT Effects

Can cause short-term memory loss but no evidence of brain damage

Psychosurgery

Surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue to treat severe disorders

Lobotomy

A psychosurgery procedure that cuts connections in the frontal lobe; no longer used

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

A therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain to treat depression

Psychodynamic Therapy

Therapy that focuses on unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences

Free Association

A psychodynamic technique where patients say whatever comes to mind to reveal unconscious thoughts

Resistance

A patient’s avoidance of topics that cause anxiety

Transference

Projecting feelings about others onto the therapist

Humanistic Therapy

Therapy that focuses on personal growth and self-fulfillment

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting and supporting a person without judgment

Active Listening

Therapist listens carefully and reflects the client’s thoughts and feelings

Behavioral Therapy

Therapy that uses learning principles to change behavior

Systematic Desensitization

A technique that gradually exposes a person to a feared object while practicing relaxation

Exposure Therapy

A behavioral technique that reduces fear by gradually facing it

Aversive Conditioning

A technique that pairs unwanted behavior with unpleasant stimuli

Token Economy

A system that rewards desired behaviors with tokens or incentives

Modeling

Learning behavior by observing others

Cognitive Therapy

Therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy that combines cognitive and behavioral techniques to change thoughts and behaviors

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

A cognitive therapy that challenges irrational beliefs