Think of your brain as a high-end restaurant. The neurotransmitters are the servers carrying messages between the kitchen (the brain) and the tables (the body).
Used for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and sometimes severe depression. They mainly target dopamine receptors.
This surge increases focus, executive functioning, and impulse control. Key side effects to monitor include appetite suppression, insomnia, and increased heart rate. Core Clinical Principles: The Golden Rules clinical psychopharmacology made ridiculously simple top
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They block both Dopamine (D2) and Serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors. Blocking serotonin actually releases a little bit of dopamine in motor pathways, drastically lowering the risk of EPS. Think of your brain as a high-end restaurant
Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), Diazepam (Valium), Clonazepam (Klonopin).
: Benzodiazepines are a class of medications used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Here are three key facts to know: They mainly target dopamine receptors
Most side effects happen because the dose was increased too fast.
: It advocates for medication only when a biochemical disturbance is evident, while highlighting that purely psychological issues are better served by therapy. Key Clinical Areas and Medication Strategies
The older "heavy hitters" like Haloperidol. Effective, but often caused "stiff" muscle side effects.
Sertraline is notoriously harsh on the GI tract ("squirtraline").