At one time in the near past, schizophrenia was treated with antipsychotics that had horrible side effects and were severely sedating. The primary reason for all the side effects of antipsychotics in the past was that they focused primarily on the dopamine receptors in the brain and when you start messing with the dopamine receptors in the brain you wind up with severe side effects. The newer antipsychotics are not as sedating as the ones used in the past, like Throrazine or Haldol. The newer drugs are called atypical antipsychotics. There is evidence that they have less of a binding for dopamine receptors (D2 receptor specifically) and more of an antagonist effect for the serotonin and other dopamine receptors. Researchers believe that the newer drugs have a fast dissociation (Attachment then release) from the d2 receptor than previous the older antipsychotics. It was the effect that older antipsychotics had on the D2 receptors that caused all the horrible side effects. These newer antipsychotics allow for better transmission of normal physiological dopamine surges. So these newer antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia are much less likely to cause tardive dyskinesia and other extrapyramidal symptoms that cause movement related symptoms. The newer antipsychotics work well against the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and are used frequently in drug and alcohol rehabs in Orange County, California and Los Angeles. They allow for the drug rehab treatment experience to be more effective than the older antipsychotics that essentially sedated clients with schizophrenia.
Some of the newer antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia in addiction treatment are: Clozapine, Risperdone, Olanzapine (Zyprexa), and Quetiapine (Seroquel). These newer drugs can be used effectively in the treatment of schizophrenia and some are more powerful than others.
Author
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Paul Alexander is the CEO, President & Founder of Northbound Treatment Network in Newport Beach, California. He believes wholeheartedly in transformational leadership, organizational health and effective, fully integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 27 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Paul has extensive knowledge of “in vivo” treatment modalities, clinical development, operations, strategy, marketing and financial planning. He has been widely recognized for his development of collegiate-based residential treatment programs for students in recovery and authored a research study at The University of California confirming this modality’s effectiveness.
Paul’s comprehensive professional experience, willingness to innovate, and emphasis on organizational health are vital factors in Northbound’s continued success. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, Summa Cum Laude, from University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Paul currently serves on The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) board. In addition, he serves on The Family Recovery Foundation board and The CarePossible board in Orange County; both organizations are committed to raising funds for family recovery and treatment for former military personnel. Paul is in recovery himself and lives in Orange County with his wife Silvana and his two young sons, Noah and Dean.
