Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is trained in the mental health field and can offer a variety of services, from regular therapy to the treatment of mental illness and disease. As part of the care of mental health, psychiatrists are also trained to complete physical examinations in order to diagnose any physical cause of mental distress.

5 Things You Need to Know

  1. Psychiatrists are different from psychologists. Psychiatrists are licensed medical practitioners who can also treat physical ailments.
  2. Psychologists often work closely with psychiatrists in the treatment of patients with physical causes and manifestations of mental illness.
  3. Psychiatrists can further specialize their training into different fields, including pediatric psychiatry, elderly (or geriatric) psychiatry, behavioral psychiatry and cognitive (or learning) psychiatry.
  4. Psychiatrists typically reserve patient interaction to in-person situations because in e-mail or phone conversations, it’s difficult to gauge tone or body language. In the mental health profession, it’s important to be able to work with the whole person, and sometimes words are deceiving. There are also concerns about liability in the case that e-mails are misinterpreted.
  5. Psychiatrists are often utilized in legal proceedings in order to gauge the competency or mental state of people involved.

3 Questions You Need to Ask Your Psychiatrist

  1. How comfortable are you with my conditions or problems? Even if you’re referred to a psychiatrist by your family doctor, you should always be able to choose the person you will visit. If you feel that the psychiatrist you’re seeing has little experience, empathy, or understanding of what you need, you should find someone else.
  2. What types of non-medicinal treatments do you offer? Some psychiatrists are quick to offer medication to treat your symptoms or condition. You should consider whether or not you’re interested in taking medication or whether you would prefer other options.
  3. What types of fees do you charge and what are your payment options? Unfortunately, many insurance companies don’t cover mental health treatment, so you need to be aware of what you’re going to be charged for treatment and how you can pay.

Also Known As: Shrink

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