Psychopharmacology Demystified, 1st Edition

The goal of Psychopharmacology Demystified is to get the internal light-bulbs of insight to glow by using every-day situations and personal vignettes to illuminate complicated ideas and concepts usinglanguage that nursing students can understand. The text begins with a primer on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, since this knowledge is a prerequisite for understanding the ensuing chapters covering antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytic-sedative-hypnotics and cognitive enhancers, as well as a chapter on substance abuse and addiction. Each chapter begins with a personal story, followed by an overview of the topic, the history of pharmacological management, a review of the major drugs in use, and concludes with current insights and future directions of therapy. While it can be used as a free-standing text, it is meant to be used in conjunction with more traditional psychiatric nursing books and pharmacotherapy textbooks.