Long-Term, Lifetime Management of Psychiatric Illness-View Presentation

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The APA session opened with Dr. Ira Glick, joined by Dr. Carl Salzman from Harvard and Dr. Sid Zizek from UC San Diego, emphasizing the importance of rethinking psychiatric clinical practices. Rather than stopping medication once symptoms improve, they propose treating psychiatric disorders like chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, requiring lifelong management.<br /><br />Dr. Salzman addressed anxiety disorders, advocating for a paradigm shift in treatment duration, proposing sustained treatment to prevent relapse. Despite controversy, he defended benzodiazepines for anxiety as safe when used correctly, citing studies showing stable long-term dosing without leading to substance abuse epidemics.<br /><br />Dr. Zizek tackled long-term depression management. He cited the need for continued treatment beyond initial relief, emphasizing the benefits of consistent medication alongside psychosocial support like cognitive-behavioral therapy. Zizek highlighted studies indicating high recurrence rates of depression, urging maintenance therapy to prevent relapses and address suicidality as a critical aspect of depression management.<br /><br />Dr. Glick concluded with findings from long-term follow-ups of patients with schizophrenia, illustrating that consistent antipsychotic use correlates with improved life satisfaction and functionality. Despite the challenges in conducting such extended studies, he emphasized the benefits of continuous treatment for chronic psychiatric conditions.<br /><br />The session underscored the need for ongoing treatment approaches, challenging conventional practices of stopping medication post-improvement. By likening psychiatric care to chronic disease management, the experts stressed sustained therapy’s role in minimizing relapses, thus enhancing patient quality of life.

Keywords

psychiatric clinical practices

chronic illness management

anxiety disorders

benzodiazepines

long-term depression management

cognitive-behavioral therapy

relapse prevention

schizophrenia

antipsychotic use

sustained treatment

suicidality

patient quality of life

lifelong management