Psychosis

Antipsychotic medications were first used after it was noticed that a newly synthesized anesthetic had unusual ability to sedate patients who did not become unconscious from its use. Dr. Henri Laborit, a French physician, encouraged his psychiatric colleagues to try the drug on their schizophrenic patients. They were so successful with this drug, chlorpromazine, that its use spread quickly throughout the world. This was in 1952. Since then, seven different types of antipsychotic medications have been developed. Some of the brand names include Thorazine, Trilafon, and Haldol.

These medicines are administered by tablet or liquid, and under circumstances where the patient may be likely not to take the medicine, time-released injections are given. The psychiatric community approaches the prescribing of antipsychotic medicines, also called neuroleptics, somewhat on the basis of trial and error. They have found that when one type of antipsychotic does not work, another type very well may reduce the symptoms of psychosis. It is sometimes helpful for them if another family member is suffering from the same illness. They have found responses within families to medicines to likely be the same. This suggests that there is a genetic factor involved in mental illness that leads to psychosis.