It wasn’t until the 19th century that French and German scientists began to study human behavior in adaptive terms. A new paradigm emerged that labeled problems as “disorders”. That was the beginning of the attempt to control behavioral symptoms with psychopharmacology. This…
Serotonin syndrome is a clinical condition associated with an adverse reaction to antidepressants. Recent studies indicate that the incidence of this syndrome has increased recently as more and more people consume antidepressants. Serotonin syndrome is usually characterized by a loss…
Since the beginning of time, human beings have been looking for medicinal plants or wanting to consume substances with curative or recreative purposes. This might be the reason why so many people consume psychoactive substances nowadays.
Acute depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder… These are all very real conditions, and many people suffer greatly with their symptoms. They also have something else in common: they are often treated with escitalopram (Cipralex). This is an antidepressant drug, one…
Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), or treatment-refractory depression, is that which tends not to respond to ordinary medications. People with it try a variety of prescription medications and different kinds of therapy without seeing any improvement. However, experience tells us that they…
Zolpidem, also known as Ambien and Stilnox, is used for occasional sleep disorders, like insomnia. It’s a fast-acting, nonbenzodiazepine sedative, making it useful for people who have trouble sleeping or who wake up a lot at night. A lot of you…
Propranolol is possibly the most widely known drug used to treat social anxiety. It is a very effective relaxant, helping with tachycardia, general tension, and sweating. This beta-blocker is also prescribed to treat migraines and headaches, and even has the…
When you see a doctor for some kind of mental illness or emotional problem, what should happen? The fact is that you’re probably going to be prescribed medication or be sent to a psychiatrist. But not a psychologist, even if…
Lexatin is a drug derived from benzodiazepines and is usually prescribed to treat severe anxiety. It reduces tension and nervousness. In higher doses, it acts as a muscle relaxant. In general, treatment with this psychoactive drug should be short-lived.
Lorazepam (also called Orfidal in some countries) is one of the best selling drugs today, almost to the level of aspirin. The fact that it’s become one of the most widely prescribed drugs for anxiety and insomnia is due to…
Antipsychiatry is a controversial movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of its main inspirations was the Hungarian psychiatrist Tomas Szasz, who was also a professor at the University of Syracuse in New York. However, the…
We know that taking a pill does not solve psychological pain (though it may give temporary relief). We know that anxiolytics do not cure anxiety or make your energy-sucking boss disappear. However, they do help. They help with emotional distress…
Benzodiazepines live on our nightstands and inside our handbags. They’re pills for the pain of life, the guarantee insomnia won’t creep up on us and the monster of anxiety will stay asleep. They’re magically blended by those enormous pharmaceutical companies, but they’re…
