Objective: Describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs commonly used to treat affective disorders.
Affective or mood disorders constitute a group of mental health disorders that frequently affect the person’s affect or mood. These include Bipolar I and II, major depressive disorder, and cyclothymia. When these disorders occur in a person with a diagnosable substance use disorder, they are referred to as co-occurring disorders. Co-occurring disorders can sometimes be difficult to diagnose.
Symptoms of a Substance Use Disorder can mask symptoms of mental illness, and symptoms of mental illness can be confused with symptoms of a Substance Use Disorder. People with mental health disorders sometimes do not address their substance use because they don’t believe it is relevant to their problems. The substance abuse counselor must thus be aware of the most frequently occurring mental health disorders. Likewise he or she must be aware of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs commonly used to treat these disorders.
Prepare to share in discussion the co-occurring incidence of depression and alcoholism.