I heartily agree with Paul's recommendation to search Medline. Also the PDR
is online at
http://www.nursespdr.com/ (Physicians Desk Reference)
Another good source is:
http://www.nami.org/ (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)
In reference to Valenstein's new book (see below),which I have not yet read. I
agree that there is much more to caring for clients than throwing pills at
them, and also agree that the drug companies are in business to make money,
but that does not make them all bad nor does it make the APPROPRIATE use of
medicines wrong. Many, both mental health professionals as well as consumers,
have fought a long hard battle to have their legitimate neurochemical diseases
recognized as such. There has been much discrimination against people with
conditions such as schizophrenia which is often controlled very nicely with
the proper meds. This doesn't mean that psycho-social teaching, or family
teaching, or recognition of symptoms is not important, or that a
multidisciplinary approach is not best. It is just as critical as with any
other chemical disorder (diabetes for example) which does not carry the stigma
borne by many with mental illnesses. One must also not ignore the fact that
in the past, some antipsychotics have caused side effects possibly worse than
the disease itself. When teaching our students about these issues, it is best
to emphasize that the open minded approach is best. Often, when treating the
mentally ill, a myriad of approaches and combinations of meds need be
considered in order to tailor a specific treatment to the individual needs of
the specific client.
Lynn Sproul, RN
>>Or, you could read Eliot Valenstein's new book (Blaming the Brain: the
Truth About Drugs and Mental Health, 1998) for a well-documented critical
opinion about the drug industry and the effectiveness of psychoactive
medications. There's a long history of new drugs introduced which
supposedly have fewer undesirable side effects that existing drugs (e.g.,
heroin as a less-addictive alternative to morphine).
I'd recommend supplementing Lilly's info with a MedLine search.
* PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* Psychology Department 507-389-6217 *
* "The University formerly known as Mankato State" *
* http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *>>
