[Medication in triangles. On expectations and meaning in pharmacotherapy]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychopharmacology
• Psychotherapy

Background:

• Psychiatrists balance pharmacotherapy (receptors, genes) with psychotherapy (environment, trauma, medication meaning).
• The psychological and interactional dimensions of prescribing are crucial but often overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To offer insights into managing the psychological and interactional aspects of medication prescribing.
• To highlight the importance of psychotherapeutic principles in the prescribing process.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of psychotherapeutic principles relevant to prescribing.
• Introduction of a "two triangles" model (conflict and person triangles) to manage medication meaning.

Main Results:

• Psychotherapeutic skills, particularly in the therapeutic relationship and managing countertransference, reveal medication expectations and meanings.
• The "conflict triangle" addresses internal conflicts, while the "person triangle" addresses relational dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Effective psychopharmaceutical prescribing necessitates both biological knowledge and psychotherapeutic skills.
• Mastering these aspects is key to the art of psychiatric practice, influencing efficacy and side effect profiles.
• The "two triangles" model aids in understanding and managing medication meaning during prescribing.