Finding support for your mental health can be challenging, and sometimes it's difficult to know how to ask for it. Additionally, picking the right kind of practitioner and navigating the mental health treatment system can be challenging.
Psychologists and psychiatrists are two popular categories of healthcare specialists in this country.
Psychologists and psychiatrists both conduct research on the brain and human behavior and offer psychological aid to patients. Their primary distinction is:
It is not always simple to find a psychologist or psychiatrist to talk to about your problems or if you need assistance. Finding the information you require is not always simple, and even if you need assistance, it is frequently challenging to get in touch with a helper. Additionally, you are frequently unclear of whether you need a psychologist or a psychiatrist. What exactly is the difference? The definitions and distinctions between psychologists and psychiatrists are provided below to help you in your search for support.
A Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a person who initially studied medicine before choosing to focus on psychiatry. So a psychiatrist is a medical professional to whom you can go for psychological issues. The most significant distinction between a psychiatrist and a psychologist is that a psychiatrist is licensed to prescribe drugs and has less training in communication skills than a psychologist. As a result, a psychiatrist is more likely than a psychologist to employ medication as a form of treatment. Seek help from a mental health professional by searching the Best psychologist near me or the Best psychiatrist near me.
Given their vast medical knowledge, psychiatrists can take a variety of physical and mental elements into account when determining what may be causing your behaviour and emotions. Additionally, they will incorporate any lab results and diagnostic tests into the plan of your care.
For instance, a thyroid disorder may occasionally be linked to depression. This is something a psychiatrist can comprehend, request lab testing to see how well your thyroid is functioning, and treat your depression by providing you with the proper medical referrals to control your thyroid issue.
A Psychologist
A person with a master's in psychology from an academic institution is referred to as a psychologist. Additionally, a lot of psychologists have chosen to focus on particular forms of therapy. Then, this person works as a therapist. Because a psychotherapist or Best psychologist delhi may not prescribe medication, they frequently choose a talking-only approach to treatment. Talking to an Therapist in delhi about your concerns, your goals, the nature of the issue, etc.
Psychologists are educated to identify and treat mental diseases, similar to psychiatrists, but without the use of drugs.
Psychologists employ empirically supported techniques such dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. They are qualified to treat anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders since they have received training in helping people deal with both life's obstacles and mental health issues.
Other issues psychologists can treat include:
Addiction
Eating disorders
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Personality disorders
Psychotic Disorders
Psychologists assist patients with life concerns like stress, emotional difficulties, getting over childhood abuse, traumatic events, relationships, mourning, and transitions in addition to treating the aforementioned diagnosable conditions.
A psychologist can be quite helpful if you need some extra support in your life because they are educated to work with the whole range of human experience.
It seems sense to start by seeing a psychologist because they can typically send you to a psychiatrist if necessary.
Consult with a psychologist first, and then get their advice on whether you should visit a psychiatrist for a medication consultation.
For instance, you might decide to see a psychiatrist to investigate the extra support of medication after finding that talk therapy with a psychologist is ineffective for the degree of suffering or impairment your mental health is producing.
On the other hand, you might only want to take medication for a short time. Once you feel more stable, you might decide to stop taking it while being closely monitored by a psychiatrist and then go visit a psychologist for talk therapy.
A lot of people visit both varieties of practitioners. A person may see their therapist once a week or every other week for 45-60 minutes while only seeing their psychiatrist once every month or two for a quick 15-30 minute appointment. Ideally, with the person's consent, the psychiatrist and therapist will work together as needed.
Both psychiatrists and psychologists are fully qualified to diagnose and treat mental health issues due to their significant education and training. The ability to prescribe drugs is the main distinction between them.
Consider whether you believe taking medication will assist if you are considering getting care for your mental health.
A psychiatrist is your best choice if you're more concerned about treatment alternatives. A psychologist would be the greatest place to start if you want to learn about various talk therapy approaches and acquire the tools you need to resolve problems. For that consult the best Online counsellor or a Best psychiatrist in India.
Additionally, you may schedule an appointment with the top professional psychologists and receive Mental health counseling at the Psychowellness Centre, which has many locations in Delhi NCR, NOIDA, Faridabad, Janakpuri, Dwarka, and Vasant Vihar.
Contribution: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, life coach & mentor TalktoAngel & Ms. Aditi Bhardwaj, Psychologist.
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