The course lens: biopsychosocial, and no 'chemical imbalance'
Sets the rules for judging any drug: chemistry matters, but route, person and context matter too — and a drug working doesn't reveal a disorder's cause.
Where this fitsConnects to 2 · Unlocks 1
- Connects to
- The two journeys: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics — Pharmacokinetics is one reason the same drug can be harmless or harmful.
- Norepinephrine and serotonin — and serotonin syndrome — Serotonin's link to mood is more complex than 'not enough serotonin'.
- Unlocks
- Where drugs act: the brain's regions — Now you're ready to look at where drugs act.
Orient
Theme of this course: the biopsychosocial perspective of drug use and effects. Bio – drugs act on biochemical systems; psycho – drugs have idiosyncratic effects based on the individual; social – drug use is embedded within a social context. Drugs are not inherently “good” or “bad” due to pharmacodynamics alone, and the “chemical imbalance” hypothesis based on drug action is unsupported at best and flat out wrong at worst.
Course terms
Your professor's wording, word for word from the slides. Learn the term and this definition — the explanation underneath is only there to help it make sense.
- Biopsychosocial perspective
“Biopsychosocial perspective of drug use and effects”Slides 01, p. 8
Drug effects come from biology, psychology and social context together — not brain chemistry alone.
- Bio
“Bio – drugs act on biochemical systems in the brain and body with varying effects based on genetic differences”Slides 01, p. 8
Same drug, different genes, different effects.
- Psycho
“Psycho – drugs have idiosyncratic effects based on the individual – their needs/desires, mental health, beliefs, and state of mind”Slides 01, p. 8
Idiosyncratic = specific to the person.
- Social
“Social – drug use is embedded within a social context that shapes their effects, use, and even addiction potential due to cultural narratives”Slides 01, p. 8
Culture, narratives and law change what a drug does to people.
- Pharmacologicalism
“Drugs are not inherently “good” or “bad” due to pharmacodynamics alone”Slides 01, p. 9
The slide credits the term “Pharmacologicalism” to DeGrandpre: the mistaken belief that a drug's chemistry alone decides whether it is good or bad. Compare cocaine vs. crack vs. chewing coca leaves.
- Chemical imbalance
“The “chemical imbalance” hypothesis based on drug action is unsupported at best and flat out *wrong* at worst”Slides 01, p. 11
Antipsychotics block dopamine and antidepressants raise serotonin, but that doesn't show the disorders are caused by too much or too little of either (cold medicine analogy).
From your course: Course slides 01, pp. 5–12 · Course slides 03, p. 28
Tip: the ← and → keys move through the lesson.
Full lesson: Biopsychosocial context and differences · History and reasoning about drug effects