Summary
I discuss my recent article defining psychiatric drugs in two categories: those that improve symptoms and those that affect the underlying disease process. Most psychiatric drugs are symptomatic, and not disease-modifying, and thus should be used less and short-term, in my view. Disease modifying drugs should be used more and long-term. They include lithium and other mood stabilizers.
The article has generated some discussion on the internet, including some claims with which I don’t agree.
The podcast describes and clarifies the concept.
The article can be found here:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/acps.13459 — Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nassir-ghaemi/support
The Ghaemi Psychiatry Podcast 