Page 520 - Understanding Psychology

Biological Approaches to Treatment
s Main Idea
Biological approaches to treatment rely on methods such as medications, elec- tric shock, and surgery to help clients.
s Vocabulary
• drug therapy
• antipsychotic drugs
• antidepressants
• lithium carbonate
• antianxiety drugs
• electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• psychosurgery
• prefrontal lobotomy
s Objectives
• Explain biological approaches to
treatment.
• Give examples of treatment medicines
and their effects on patients.
Reader’s Guide
Exploring Psychology
Medical Miracles?
Susan A. has spent most of her adult life fighting with people—her parents, her neighbors, her co-workers, and her hus- band. The 39-year-old Seattle woman has suffered bouts of depression and bulimia, abused drugs and alcohol, and twice tried to kill herself. She once sought relief in an antidepressant called doxepin, but she didn’t like the way it made her feel.
Two years ago her therapist, Dr. Michael Norden, suggested she try a new drug called Prozac. She did. Within a month, Susan had given up psychotherapy in favor of school and a full-time job. She had also given up tranquilizers and street drugs. “I feel 1,000%,” she said in a written note. “I actually like Mom and Dad now, I’m well liked at work, I don’t ruminate on the negatives, I don’t have murderous rages, my marriage is five times better.”
—from “The Promise of Prozac” by
G. Cowley, in Newsweek, March 26, 1990
People with ear infections are given antibiotics, and within about 10 days, most infections are gone. Could the same approach be used for people with psychological problems? According to Susan A.’s testimonial, the drug Prozac seemed to alleviate her psychological prob- lems. Some experts believe that biological therapies, such as medications, should be reserved for people who fail to respond to psychotherapy. Other experts believe that a combination of psychotherapy and biologi- cal therapy is the answer for many patients.
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Chapter 17 / Therapy and Change