First And Second Generation Antipsychotics Case Study

First Generation and Second Generation Antipsychotics
First Generation atypical antipsychotics (FGA) were introduced to the United States in the 1950’s as a way to help individuals who experienced psychosis (Preston, O’Neal, & Talaga, 2013). FGA are characterized by low and high potencies. FGA are broken down by potency to distinguish if the medication is a higher or lower amount and the frequency needed to result in effective treatment. Researchers noticed FGA were effective in treating psychotic symptoms, however the side effects are abundant. Individuals began to experienced extrapyramidal, anticholinergic, antiadrenergic, and tardive dyskinesia side effects (Preston et al., 2013). Researchers began to develop medication that would be as effective, but without the severe side
This paper will discuss the severe and irreversible side effects of antipsychotics along with the neurotransmitters involved. The paper will then go into detail of the challenges counselors face when working with individuals with psychosis. In the end, the paper will discuss a case study of John, who is schizophrenic and needs antipsychotics to function in life.
Antipsychotic medication side effects As all medications produce, there are severe side effects that can stem from FGA and SGA. The three recognized severe side effects from antipsychotics are, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, argranulocytosis, and diabetes (Preston et al., 2013). The reason these side effects are so severe, is for the fact that they can create irreversible problems and could lead to coma or death (Preston et al., 2013). Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a neurological disorder characterized by