Narcotherapy
Narcotherapy (pronounced: nar·co·ther·a·py, /ˈnärkōˌTHerəpē/) is a form of psychotherapy in which the patient is put into a sleep or stupor state with the use of narcotic drugs. The term is derived from the Greek words "narkō" meaning "I numb" and "therapeia" meaning "healing".
History
Narcotherapy was first introduced in the 1930s by the Viennese psychiatrist Manfred Sakel. He initially used this method to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The therapy was later adopted and modified by other psychiatrists and used in the treatment of various mental disorders.
Procedure
In narcotherapy, the patient is administered a narcotic, usually a barbiturate such as sodium amytal or pentothal, in gradually increasing doses until a state of stupor or light sleep is induced. This state is maintained for several hours each day over a period of several weeks. The aim is to reduce anxiety and tension, and to make the patient more receptive to psychotherapy.
Related Terms
- Psychotherapy: A general term referring to therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client, patient, family, couple, or group.
- Narcotic: A drug that relieves pain, induces sleep, and may alter mood or behavior.
- Schizophrenia: A long-term mental disorder involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion.
- Psychotic: A term used to describe conditions that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Narcotherapy
- Wikipedia's article - Narcotherapy
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski