The drug management of acute behavioural disturbances

Some aspects of drug management of acute behavioural disorder are discussed. Drug management aims at the amelioration of the patient's ineraction with his environment; it is used as a diagnostic procedure, and to facilitate further definitive diagnosis and investigation, as a form of psychotherapeutic contact, to facilitate further psychotherapy, and to initiate a treatment programme aimed at returning the patient to being a useful and health member of society. Some methods of rapid tranquillisation are described and the drug management of the following specific behavioural disturbances are discussed: schizophrenic distrubance, acute mania, depressive behavioural disturbance, acute anxiety states, acting-out psychopathic behaviour, toxic states, epileptic furore and dyscontrol syndrome, behavioural disturbances of the elderly, and behavioural disturbances in organic conditions.