Outline

There is a mental health counselor in psychology.

• Understand, and explain, drug metabolism and mechanism of action
• Recognize when to refer for medication, and how to increase client interest and participation
• Develop highly effective collaborations with prescribers

The mental health nurse needs to know what to look for.

Depressive Disorders.

• Neurochemistry of depression
• Controversy regarding antidepressants and placebo – Who to treat when?
• Types of antidepressants – pearls and pitfalls of different agents
• Managing side effects
• Treatment-Resistant Depression and drug combinations

Disorders of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma related.

• Neurochemistry of anxiety
• SGAD, panic disorder, phobias
• OCD
• PTSD
• Physiological interventions
• Anti-anxiety medications
  • Antidepressants
  • The many other options often ignored
• Benzodiazepines: risks and benefits
  • How to recognize problematic prescribing patterns
  • Getting off benzos: key pearls for success
• Managing side effects

There are disorders of the brain.

• Neurochemistry and symptoms
• The Bipolar Spectrum concept & DSM-5® changes
• Types of mood stabilizers, when to use which and potential adverse effects
  • Lithium
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Atypical antipsychotics
  • Augmenting agents
• Effective strategies for improving outcomes for clients
• Using blood levels effectively – what the prescriber may not be watching
• Treating pregnant or potentially pregnant women with bipolar disorder

Psychotic Disorders.

• Neurochemistry of psychosis and schizophrenia
• Antipsychotic Medications:
  • First generation (typical)
  • Second generation (atypical)
• Managing side effects
  • Extrapyramidal symptoms and TD
  • Metabolic problems – what blood tests are needed and when
  • Preventing Diabetes Mellitus
• Recognizing hyperprolactinemia – and why you need to know
• Use of atypical antipsychotics for multiple disorders
• Pregnancy and psychotic disorders

There are attentional disorders.

• Differential diagnosis
• Neurochemistry of ADHD
• Controversy about treatment of ADHD with stimulants
• Substance abuse and ADHD
• Stimulant medications
• Non-stimulant options
• Managing side effects

There are sleep disorders.

• Differential diagnosis
• Chicken or the egg? What came first, sleep problems or mental illness?
• Controversy about treating sleep problems with hypnotics
• Sleep interventions that really work
• Hypnotic medications: risks and benefits
• Alternatives to hypnotics
• Recognizing adverse effects

Substance use disorders.

• Neurochemistry of addiction & habit development
• Drugs of abuse and interaction with psychiatric medications
  • Caffeine
  • Nicotine
• Marijuana (discussion of medical marijuana, cost vs. benefit)
• Others
• Challenging the old thinking about when to prescribe for clients with dual diagnosis – what we now know
• Medication assisted treatments for addictions
  • Alcohol
  • Nicotine
  • Cannabis
  • Opiates
• Behavioral addictions – what we know works

There are eating disorders.

• Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder
• Weight gain from psychotropic medications
• Recognizing medical emergencies
  • Standard of care for lab work
• Integrating psychotherapy with psychopharmacology

Special populations are geriatric.

• Specialized guidelines for geriatric clients
• Discussion of dementia treatment
• Antipsychotic controversy

There are special populations of women.

• Hormonal issues in mood disorders & anxiety
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding – Presenting the choices
• Resources for you and your clients
• The dangerous, the concerning, and the possibly good options for psychopharmacology

There is use of alternative agents in certain conditions.

• Safety issues
• Proven efficacy and dosin