Goal

The objective of this session is to inform our patients the various types of mood stabilizers, their differences and specific indications, and their advantages and side effects. It is very important not to ignore this last part, since the patients may feel cheated if we only talk about the positive aspects of pharmacological treatment. The final objective of this session and of the entire Unit 2 is to improve adherence.

Procedure

• After initial and formal conversation, we will ask the volunteers to present their own life charts or ones invented by them. It is to be expected that a commented presentation of a life chart will take about 15 min, so that it is advisable to make a maximum of two presentations per session.

• Next, we can start discussing the topic of the session. Taking into account that this is the first session we dedicate to drugs, we must first answer a series of questions or fears, which certain patients have about psychotropic drugs; we must make it very clear that psychotropic drugs are not addictives – except for benzodiazepines, if not properly used; that they do not “brainwash” or destroy the mind; that most of them are not stimulants; that they are not drugs “for weak people”; and that their purpose is not under any circumstance to replace the will of those who take them. Thus, we tackle at once the entire black legend surrounding psychotropic drugs.

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