What is Psychopharmacology?
The Basics: Psychopharmacology is the study of how medicines impact the brain and resulting emotional and behavioral responses. Though medicinal practices of unique nature are woven into the histories of various cultural backgrounds, the study and implementation of more formal intervention became a part of the medical model as we know it today in the 1800s. At its roots and in the present day, psychopharmacology rests on the assumption that mental illness is attributed at least in part to a biological disturbance. In light of this, the use of medications aims either to alleviate presently experienced symptoms or deter recurrence or relapse of previously experienced symptoms through impacting the neurotransmitter systems and chemical imbalances in the brain. The study and implementation of this targeted intervention has grown immensely, now effectively treating a plethora of mental pathologies, including depression, anxiety, ADHD and countless others. From Contro...