International Journal Of Developmental Disabilities

Running Head: SEDATIVE MEDICATION BEING CONTROVERSIAL 1
CRITICAL DISCUSSION CONCERNING USE OF SEDATIVE MEDICATIONS IN
CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR BEING CONTROVERSIAL

SEDATIVE MEDICATION BEING CONTROVERSIAL 2
Introduction
Around 12% of people globally faces the issue of mental and behavioral disorders. Among
them, a few people get the chance of receiving the basic treatments of the disorder. The issues
that fall under mental and behavioral disorders include dementia, affective disorder, depressive
disorders, schizophrenia, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress, panic, primary insomnia, and obsessive
and compulsive disorder. As per the post review statement of the World Health Organization
(WHO) in 2016, several pharmacological and psychological approaches are taken on to cure
these disorders regarding the mental health and behavioral issue. Regardless to mention, multiple
controversies often arise concerning the use of psychiatric drugs in case of treating the
psychological illness that is mentioned above. However, the reports of the psychotropic drugs
and their potential misuses are quite high over the past years. In addition, the nature of these
drugs is tremendously violent and leaves a strong and significant impression on an individual.
The sole purpose of the essay is to critically converse about the divisive utilization of
psychotropic drugs and their control over the mental illness as well as managing of the signs.
Controversy regarding the psychotropic drugs
A wide range of new medications for treating mental and behavioral disorders has been
generated by the pharmaceutical industry. They have researched and then provided those drugs
upon the hands of the clinicians and doctors, who in turn treat the people dealing with mental
health issues. Undoubtedly, the psychotropic drugs play a big role in curing the mental health
issue (Scheifes et al, 2016) However, the controversy of the usage of these drugs in managing the
symptoms and signs of the illness is no less. According to Muir-Cochrane and Grace (2017) the

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effect from the use of sedative medications in controlling behaviors have been a matter of
controversy as it has coercive and other effects on a person. The effects of these psychotropic
drugs are a matter that needs to be evaluated.
Back in the late 1950s, the pharmacological treatment was first practiced by using
psychotropic medication. In fact, the first-ever use of chlorpromazine was noticed. However,
before administrating of this particular drug, the patients need to go through the
pathophysiological diagnosis process. The limitations of the treatment occurred due to poor
knowledge in comprehending the exact mechanisms of pathophysiology in treating psychiatric
symptoms with medications. Thus, the psychotropic drugs need to deal with several limitations
along with complexity and uncertainty in the treatment of mental disorders. Hence any sort of
pathophysiological interventions was further ignored and pharmacological treatment was
considered the only path to treating people with psychological disorders.
However, psychotropic drugs are often prescribed for the purpose of controlling or reducing
the behavior issues of patients with psychological diseases. The psychotropic medications assist
in treating a host of mental conditions hence have large applicability (Lloyd, Torelli, & Symons,
2016). The mental conditions of the patients experiencing psychological disorders can be many.
In some cases, the patients tend to show violence in their nature. The patient's challenging
behavioral results can either be the physical or verbal and non-verbal. Such violence in their
behavior and nature make it difficult to serve them with gentle care and medications maintaining
appropriate safety measures. According to the studies, in the maximum of the cases, the patients
are seen in engaging the biting tendency, punching, and so on. Moreover, some cases regarding
the self-injury of the patients are reported as well. Moreover, the patients themselves are
sometimes unaware of their violent nature. Therefore, it is essential to recuperate their actions

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(Bowring et al, 2017). The only attribute that can ease the situation of the patients and decrease
their aggressiveness is the sedative nature of psychotropic drugs. Nevertheless, the fact of
sedative medication’s side effects should be highlighted. The drugs might improve their mental
stability and calm violent actions, but there is a high possibility for the patients to come across
with several drawbacks of the medications. There is no doubt in the idea that drugs aid in healing
sleeping disorders. Besides promoting good sleep, they also help in fighting back the anxiety.
The most common problem that the patients deal with is: they become dependent on the drugs as
the medication is highly addictive. Apart from this, another downside of the drug is that it
gradually slows down the functionality of the brain. As the drug is able to deliver soothing relief
to the brain and mind, it is often regarded as anti-depressants or tranquilizers.
In fact, as per different pieces of studies, the work procedure of the psychotropic medication
is somewhat similar to the alcohol, which is a major controversy surrounding this medicine.
Therefore, including other side effects, the patients under these medications can meet with
drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and so on. At times, the patient might also face issues
concerning their physical movement and gradually they might even suffer from a weak memory
power. Just like the drawbacks of alcohol, psychotropic drugs are also responsible for lowering
the heartbeat, which in fact worsens the condition and make it more critical. These side effects
and challenges enhance the risk of injury and even fall.
However, in some of the most critical, the patients have been noticed to commit several unfair
tasks because of the deterioration of the mental condition, which is another side effect of
psychotropic medicines. It mostly occurs owing to the augmentation of anxiety as a sign of the
drug's side effects. Sometimes, the patients fail to lead their normalcy and develop an addiction
to the drug. Nonetheless, due to the over-dosage of the drugs, the patients can even face death

SEDATIVE MEDICATION BEING CONTROVERSIAL 5
risks. In this case, a fact should be mentioned that sometimes the patients intentionally take the
drug on the excessive dosage to satisfy their self-harm motive. Hence, the outcome of these
psychotropic medications can develop all these above-mentioned bullies on an individual.
On the other hand, the sedative drugs that are prescribed in treating mental illness are
sometimes potentially misused by the patients. The sedative abuse has become a common report
with these drugs. Both the clinicians and the nurses have to deal with the aggressive manner of
the patients very efficiently. Besides, they need to maintain their own safety as sometimes the
problematic behavior of the patients become very intense. Additionally, they tend to become
uncontrollable. Moreover, besides all these, the practitioners even need to keep their eye on the
consequences and after-effects of the drugs. It is because similar to the psychotropic medication,
the sedative medication can even lead to some severe and significant challenges including death
from over-dosage. Also, there a few numbers of ethical issues concerning the prevention of drug
addiction. Chiefly, these drugs are suggested by the clinicians for curing insomnia,
somnambulism, and other sleep-related problems. These sedative drugs are also availed of for
treating a couple of issues regarding benzodiazepines and attacks of anxiety. These drugs are
again similar to the effects of alcohol. Just like alcohol induces more sleep by decreasing stress
and anxiety, the working process of the sedative medication is kind of similar to that. Therefore,
a huge tendency of misusing it and relishing it as a recreational drug is seen massively.
In most cases, psychotropic drugs make the use of psychosocial management and
pharmacological management while serving patients suffering from mental disorders.
Nevertheless, among those above-mentioned managements, the pharmacological therapy
generally receives the maximum priority in case of treating the patients whereas the therapy
called psychosocial remains non-existent (Valdovinos et al, 2016). However, the requirement for

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psychosocial treatment is inevitable. In addition, they ought to combine with the biological
treatment to increase the effectiveness of the therapy or treatment for mental and behavioral
illness. In fact, the urgent adaption of psychosocial therapy is especially crucial for providing
holistic care for those who suffer from mental disorders. The highly qualified and educated RN
who is in charge ought to accept and transcribe the legal medicine prescriber’s order for creating
mild to modest sedation. In addition, the RN must be very careful while administrating such
drugs and should only provide when prescribed by any authorized association or clinician. Along
with that, the nursing practitioners who are in charge of treating the patients should be able of
taking the responsibility of performing their activity while maintaining safety (Sheehan et al,
2017). These two therapeutic treatments are mainly helpful when mental illness is particularly
involved with psychiatric behavioral sources. They are even useful when the violent behavior of
any patient becomes an instant risk factor either to himself or others. Therefore, the sedative
medication should only be relied upon when the risk of not using the medicine exceeds the risk
of introducing it.
Challenges that the registered nurses often come across
While treating the patients with a mental and behavioral disorder with psychotropic
medication, the nurses in charge frequently face many challenges. The patients under the
sedative drug have no control over their emotions and behavior. As a result, they are more prone
to self-hurt as well as injuring others (Fukuda, Shimizu, & Seto, 2015). Therefore, the registered
nurses have to assess the mental patients in such a way so that they can halt the negative
circumstances. Sometimes, the patients create such situations, that the nurses feel the difficulty is

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serving them the effective care. Upon savoring the psychotropic medication, the aggressive
behavioral issue can be managed but at the same time, the practice of recovery can increase the
risks of self-injury. However, the repetition in such behavior might be an issue and can lead the
patients to chronic settings. Hence, the purpose of the nurses is to prevent the occurring of
repetitive disturbing behavior (Martinez, 2016). The nurses need to make the use of exact
pharmacology based on their functions, properties, and physiological consequences. The nurses
must properly administer and follow the prescriptions thoroughly without missing a single drug
dose. Besides, the nurses require keep notice of all the activities of the patients to monitor the
sudden outcome from unfavorable sedation. Even the health care camps or organizations should
be of good infrastructure with the facility of safety for both the patients and the clinicians (Sawan
et al, 207).
Along with the nurses, the RNs sometimes meet with unexpected violence from the patients
while applying the sedation at the workplace. Thereby, they require implanting smooth
communication to shrink the intensity when risky situations occur. They even require sensing the
early traits of their engaging in anger, aggressive behavior, etc and soothing the situation by
calming them down (Daly et al, 2015). The RNs need to learn and inculcate the complicated
situation by distracting the mind of the patients. The RNs are due to find out the underlying
reasons for the disturbed mind and the discomfort of the patients. The aspects that are needed to
be monitored include the difficulty of the patients in communicating, any physical pain, etc.
Sometimes the unfamiliar setting of the health camp might provoke the patients and indulge
them in absurd and aggressive behavior (Iseselo, & Ambikile, 2017). Along with administrating
the right drug at emergency, the RNs also need to respond to patients appropriately measuring
his anger to prevent him from further provocation.

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Conclusion
To conclude, it is essential to mention that the nurses require taking on effective precautions
while injecting the sedative or psychotropic medication to the patients. Besides, RNs should be
very responsible for their duty and monitor during the course of medication. They ought to detect
the core problem of a patient and chalk out the treatment in a precise way. For instance, patients
experiencing dementia require to be given dementia treatment. Additionally, patients need to be
treated routinely to keep track of their behavioral syndromes. The RNs giving the orders need to
take note that the psychotropic drugs are only meant to administrate on immediate occasions
when all the alternative therapies have failed. Hence, the RNs are obliged to estimate the moral
confrontations and other relating attributes before putting in the therapeutic management to the
patients.

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