Assessment includes the person’s symptoms, medication history and prolactin testing interpreted under suitable conditions. Clinicians consider pregnancy where relevant, thyroid or other medical causes, and whether additional investigation is needed. The degree and persistence of…Continue Reading
Treatment decisions for tardive dyskinesia depend on severity, functional impact, current medication needs and available options. Clinicians review the causative exposure and may consider adjustments or switching, while recognising that psychiatric stability must also be…Continue Reading
A formulation is a shared explanation of how difficulties developed and what may be maintaining them. In cognitive behavioural therapy, it connects experiences with emotions, beliefs, behaviour and circumstances. It is individual rather than a…Continue Reading
Histamine contributes to wakefulness through H1 receptors in the brain. Blocking these receptors can produce sleepiness, which helps explain the sedating properties of several antipsychotics. The same broad receptor system is also relevant to appetite…Continue Reading
An experience and its interpretation are related but distinct. Hearing a voice may be distressing partly because it is understood as powerful, dangerous or proof of personal failure. A suspicious thought may lead to avoidance…Continue Reading
Daytime sleepiness is a tendency to become drowsy or fall asleep during waking hours. It can interfere with reading, conversation, study and work. Antipsychotic effects are one possible cause, but insufficient sleep, sleep apnoea, irregular…Continue Reading
Therapy for distressing voices may examine their content, triggers and the beliefs a person holds about their power or intentions. Two people hearing similar words can experience very different levels of fear. The relationship with…Continue Reading
Sedation can vary with dose, blood concentration and the time since a medicine was taken. Formulation and half-life also influence the pattern. A medication taken in the evening may still affect alertness the next day…Continue Reading
Sedation can reduce participation even when psychotic symptoms improve. Someone may struggle to wake for appointments, maintain attention at work or take part in family life. Slower reactions can affect safety, while visible inactivity may…Continue Reading
Sleepiness is the tendency to fall asleep, while fatigue is a sense of exhaustion or reduced energy that may occur without drowsiness. The experiences often overlap but suggest different assessment questions. A person can feel…Continue Reading