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Psychopharmacology

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Handbook of Dissociation

Abstract

This chapter provides a review of the various psychotropic medications and benefits of their use in the treatment of patients with dissociative identity disorder (DID). Psychopharmacology in the broad perspective includes the study of the effects of psychoactive drugs on the human mind, including the patient’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, fantasies, activities and behavior applied in day-to-day living. In general, it is important to state that currently there is no one specific medication or combination of medications that cure patients with a dissociative disorder. However, the use of psychotropic medications can be quite helpful by providing the following benefits:

  1. 1.

    Reduce the intensity of debilitating symptoms such as anxiety, depression, poor concentration, insomnia, restlessness, nightmares, panic states, exaggerated startle response, and phobias.

  2. 2.

    Improve the patient’s mental state and attention focus to be more amenable and ready to benefit from psychotherapeutic interventions.

  3. 3.

    Provide the benefit of psychopharmalogical interventions in patients who have the comorbidity of a dissociative disorder with another psychiatric disorder such as major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and so forth.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Akron General Medical Center, Akron, Ohio, 44307, USA

    Moshe S. Torem

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Akron, Ohio, 44272, USA

    Moshe S. Torem

Authors
  1. Moshe S. Torem
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Larry K. Michelson  & William J. Ray  & 

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© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Torem, M.S. (1996). Psychopharmacology. In: Michelson, L.K., Ray, W.J. (eds) Handbook of Dissociation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0310-5_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0310-5_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0312-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0310-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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