Psychiatry is a medical discipline that attempts to identify and treat disorders in areas of people's mental health, such as emotion, thought, behavior, perception, attention, concentration, sleep, appetite, and memory. Disorders in these areas significantly impact the quality of life of both the individual and those around them. Social events, as well as genetic factors, influence these disorders. Therefore, the treatment of these disorders aims to both correct the biological damage in the individual's body and to help the individual establish a lifestyle that can sustain this improvement over time.
Today, many medications are used in the biological treatment of psychiatric disorders. These medications play a role in alleviating psychological complaints through their effects on molecules and receptors in the body, particularly serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Medications are selected based on the complaints the patient reports during the examination, and a follow-up protocol is implemented to monitor the patient's condition. When the expected benefit from the medication is achieved, the medication is discontinued, following a protocol. Because each patient's condition varies, this process can vary from person to person.
Medication can improve many physical and mental complaints. For this permanent improvement to occur, awareness and changes in the individual's perspective on the problems they experience in their daily life are necessary. Psychiatric therapies foster new awareness and positive changes in perspectives, enabling the individual to respond more constructively. The frequency and duration of therapy sessions are determined jointly by the patient and therapist, based on the patient's condition and expectations.
Because there is no single cause of psychiatric disorders, no single treatment method may be effective. Therefore, a combination of medication and therapy is more effective and lasting. In this regard, the patient's awareness of the distressing situation and their commitment to change it are important factors affecting treatment success.