Lesson 3: Treatment

Drug Therapy

Just as many physical illnesses can be effectively treated or managed with medication, so can many mental illnesses. Most medication is believed to help restore a state of balance within the brain’s neurotransmitters. Because the brain is a complex organ, physicians, in conjunction with their patients, need to determine the best form and dosage of medication. Some people have allergic reactions to specific drugs, while, for others, the side-effects from the drugs are problematic or worse than the illness itself. In all cases, careful monitoring of the patient drug interaction must occur.