How Do Psychologists Treat Mental Health Conditions?
A psychiatrist or psychologist? And what’s the difference anyway? Psychologists and psychiatrists aren’t even the only health care providers who can assist with depression and anxiety disorder treatments. Nurses, doctor’s assistants and others can also be helpful in treating these conditions.
It’s important to understand that while psychiatrists provide diagnostic and treatment services, they are not psychotherapists. A therapist is a psychotherapist. They are trained in various forms of counselling and can provide a variety of treatments for patients. Psychotherapy, as a whole, is often provided by psychiatrists. In fact, many psychiatrists choose psychotherapy and counselling as one of their main treatments for patients.
When it comes to anxiety and depression, however, psychiatrists play a larger role in treatment than psychotherapists. While psychiatrists have the ability to treat patients with various types of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, they are more often than not limited in their treatments by what they are trained to treat. Typical treatments include medication and psychotherapy. The medication can range from antidepressants to anxiolytics. Antipsychotic drugs are sometimes prescribed in conjunction with these treatments.
If a patient chooses to go to a psychiatrist instead of a psychologist, they will have a more comprehensive treatment plan. Usually, this involves an initial consultation in which the psychiatrist will determine the severity of the patient’s condition and develop a treatment plan based around that diagnosis. This plan will typically include a variety of different types of psychotherapy and/or medication. Sometimes, dietary changes will be incorporated into the treatment plan as well. The objective is to get the patient to a point where he or she is able to maintain an eating disorder cessation without the help of medications.
In addition to having an initial consultation with a psychiatrist, patients with depression and other anxiety related issues should also see a psychiatrist on a regular basis for follow up visits. At these visits, the psychiatrist will evaluate the progress of the patient’s anxiety and/or depression symptoms and determine whether or not the symptoms are being managed effectively. If not, the psychiatrist may prescribe additional medications or recommend a course of psychological therapy in conjunction with the medications. In some instances, the patient will not need medication at all; simply participate in behavioral therapy in which he or she will learn to recognize the onset of an anxiety or depressive episode and take appropriate measures to relieve the symptoms. This type of behavioral treatment is widely regarded as the best way to treat chronic anxiety and depression.
Many psychiatrists and social workers choose to combine their practices. Many psychiatrists work with individuals and families facing mental health problems including anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Some psychiatrists and social workers also work with children and adolescents facing these problems.
Occasionally, psychiatrists will specialize in one particular anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder. In this case, they will prescribe medication and set up follow up sessions with the client. They may refer the patient to a psychiatrist or psychologist specializing in the treatment of depression and other anxiety disorders. This allows them to target specific issues that need to be addressed during follow up sessions.
Although psychiatrists work primarily in the medical field, there are many psychiatrists who work in other fields as well. For example, some psychiatrists work in labor unions and various trade unions. These psychiatrists provide psychological services to employees on a union contract. While these psychiatrists do not have medical school credentials, they normally hold medical degrees and have worked in the medical field for many years. Therefore, if you are seeking a psychiatrist to assist you with a mental health condition, you should ask whether the psychiatrist is a medical doctor or someone who has previously worked in the medical field.