Psychiatrist - who is it and what does it treat? Appointment

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Psychiatrist - who is it and what does it treat? Appointment
Psychiatrist - who is it and what does it treat? Appointment
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Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a doctor who diagnoses and treats mental disorders.

The doctor consults patients, both with he althy and mentally disturbed. He prescribes them drugs that can get rid of existing problems. In addition, the doctor performs a general examination of patients, determining their legal capacity and mental he alth.

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Don't confuse a psychiatrist with neurologists, psychotherapists and psychologists. A psychiatrist deals with the treatment of various mental disorders, regardless of their severity and form of manifestation. The psychiatrist is able to prescribe prescription drugs that are strong enough and have a pronounced effect.

As for psychologists, they provide psychological assistance, but they are not medical specialists and cannot recommend medicines. Psychotherapists treat moderate mental disorders, prioritizing methods such as conversations. Of course, psychotherapists can prescribe medications, but they are not potent and are aimed at removing the patient from stressful conditions. Drug therapy is not a priority treatment for psychotherapists.

What diseases does a psychiatrist treat?

Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist

It is impossible to completely list all the diseases that a psychiatrist faces within the framework of one article, so it is worth considering the main, most common pathologies:

  • Paranoid ideas haunting the patient;
  • Delirium and hallucinations;
  • Suicidal tendencies;
  • Pathological phobias;
  • Epileptic states;
  • Chronic insomnia;
  • Schizophrenia; (Read also: Causes, signs and symptoms of schizophrenia)
  • Delirium tremens;
  • Dependencies that a person is not able to overcome on their own, such as: gambling, alcohol, drugs, etc.;
  • Bulimia and anorexia;
  • Mental disorders due to trauma;
  • Alzheimer's disease;
  • Recurrent hysteria and other illnesses.

Consultation with a psychiatrist

Consultation with a psychiatrist
Consultation with a psychiatrist

Diagnosis of the patient's condition begins already at the first appointment with a psychiatrist, for which:

  • The doctor interrogates the patient, or the person who brought the patient to the appointment. The help of a relative is needed in the case when the patient is not able to truthfully answer about his own state of he alth, or cannot come to the appointment without outside help.
  • The doctor makes an initial diagnosis based on the information received.
  • Determining the place of therapy. It is not always possible to leave patients on an outpatient basis, in some cases hospitalization is required.
  • The final management strategy is being developed.

Don't be afraid to see a psychiatrist. This doctor, like any other, follows the laws of medical ethics and the appointment is anonymous. Registration is rarely done when there is a real need for it. Questioning of the patient is carried out only with his consent, in writing. If the person himself cannot sign such consent, then relatives or guardians do it for him. A person is hospitalized only when he poses a real threat to society. But before hospitalization is performed, the patient must undergo not only a psychiatrist, but a whole examination, as a result of which a decision is made on the need for treatment in an outpatient setting.

When should I see a psychiatrist?

There are certain signs that indicate that a person needs to seek specialist advice:

  • The appearance of a feeling of fear before those moments in life that previously seemed easy to solve. Often this symptom is accompanied by increased aggressiveness of a person, or his apathy to everything that happens around.
  • An unrelenting anxiety that has no basis.
  • Persistent insomnia, against the backdrop of a persistent feeling of drowsiness. (Read also: Causes and symptoms of insomnia)
  • The emergence of a feeling of hunger that cannot be satisfied, or, on the contrary, complete apathy for the process of eating and lack of appetite.
  • Problems with mental abilities, memory impairment, inability to concentrate.
  • An irresistible desire to take doping, that is, diversify your life with the use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco, or other addictions.
  • The emergence of conditions independent of the situation, not adequate to it, which a person cannot control. For example, panic, aggression, tearfulness, resentment, fear of communication, etc.

When should I take my child to a psychiatrist?

Consultation of a specialist is necessary when a child enters a preschool educational institution and a secondary school. These visits are considered scheduled, however, sometimes an unscheduled trip to the doctor is required.

The following symptoms deserve attention from parents:

  • Aggression and cruelty shown by a child. This refers to the expressed forms of these emotional manifestations.
  • Inadequate child behavior. The complete absence of phobias, or, on the contrary, their severity, the child's unawareness of his own age, problems with memory and attention, isolation from reality.
  • Signs of bulimia or anorexia. Suicidal tendencies, drug addiction.

Helping a loved one: when is it needed?

Giving help
Giving help

Some mental disorders can suppress the will of the patient, make him break away from reality, withdraw into himself. Many people in this condition completely reject the need for treatment and categorically refuse to go to see a doctor.

Relatives and friends of a sick person should help him overcome this condition, so you should not ignore when:

  • A person's personality is distorted, transformed under the influence of the disease.
  • A person concentrates on crazy ideas, nothing else interests him.
  • A person shows unmotivated aggression.
  • A person often talks about suicide and even more so attempts to commit suicide.

Treatment with a psychiatrist: how does it work?

Methods of delivering the patient from mental disorders are diverse. The basic treatment regimen is a combination of medication with corrective therapy. Medicines help calm the excited psyche, restore its lost functions, and normalize the patient's condition. Auto-training, hypnosis, conversations, suggestion, group sessions - all these are effective auxiliary methods of the main treatment.

Such radical methods of therapy as treatment with current, water, cold in psychiatry are prohibited.

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