As a rule, many people associate a psychiatrist with severe personality disorders. In fact, there are also easier problems, which nevertheless may require drug therapy. It is important to understand the difference between the three categories of professionals before seeking help. When a psychologist and a psychotherapist can help, and when should you go to a psychiatrist for an appointment, aif.ru told psychiatrist Svetlana Popova.
So, for example, a psychologist is a person without a medical education, so he does not have the right to prescribe drugs, even if they are very necessary. For the most part, psychologists work on deep psychological problems (relationships with parents, children) and neuroses.
A psychotherapist is a specialist with a medical education who owns psychotherapeutic methods of work that improve the mental and emotional state of a person, normalizes his mental balance. May suggest certain medications.
And there is a psychiatrist who received a medical education, completed an internship / residency in psychiatry and is qualified to work even with complex cases, such as personality disorder, depersonalization, schizophrenia and others. Most often, it is the psychiatrist who works more than others with drug therapy. Its activities are aimed at preventing acute psychotic illnesses and stabilizing chronic illnesses, since from the point of view of psychiatry, mental illnesses are incurable.
It is important to understand that if there is a need to seek the advice of a psychiatrist, this should not be feared and avoided. Work with such a specialist will not leave any stigma on a person. And the benefits of therapy will be enormous.
When should you visit a psychiatrist?
One of the signs is trouble sleeping. When a person wakes up with the feeling that he does not have the strength or, in principle, the desire to get up, everything is painted in negative tones, you should not try to overcome yourself. Need to ask for help. At first, if you have trouble sleeping, you can start with a psychotherapist, but if the treatment does not work, you may need special drug therapy, which only a psychiatrist offers. Long-term sleep disorders of various kinds become alarming signs.
It is also worth consulting with excessive activation in the evenings. That is, in the morning there was no strength to get up, but in the evening the mood rises, motivation for various actions. This can be either a consequence of fatigue and improper functioning of the nervous system, or a manifestation of depression. And such conditions require special assistance.
Problems with eating behavior also need to be studied and corrected. For example, if a person refuses to eat or, conversely, cannot move away from the refrigerator and suffers from bulimia, it is worth looking for underlying causes. It is important to remember that conduct disorders can be life-threatening, so do not delay.
It is important to consult with a specialist if you have obsessive thoughts that you can’t cope with on your own. It is especially important to visit a psychiatrist if all these thoughts are destructive and directed towards self-destruction and self-harm.
The appearance of hallucinations, when a person begins to feel and see what others do not see, should alert. This is already a sign of a deep mental disorder, dangerous for a person. Because of such visions, relations with others may deteriorate, problems with work begin. This requires immediate medical attention.
It is also recommended to contact a psychiatrist after some kind of trauma experienced. It is also possible to start therapy with a psychotherapist, but if his efforts do not help, perhaps a narrower and more specific therapy is required. The faster a person feels support, the faster and easier the traumatic period will pass and will not be prolonged. If a person has been in grief for more than a year, this indicates that he is stuck in this situation and he needs the help of a specialist.
Another wake-up call can be considered a situation when a person suddenly stops liking his job, which brought him a stable income and employment, his life, relationships or environment. When a person begins to abruptly abandon his occupation, environment, relationships – he does this not gradually and reasonably, but abruptly and for no reason, then this is also a reason to seek help. Since this is a manifestation of an internal conflict that a person is not aware of and tries to resolve with external actions, which is also destructive for him.
In what order should you contact the experts?
It is best to immediately go to someone who has both education and experience. Because sometimes similar symptoms can hide both a neurotic state and a deeper one – schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis and other options. Only the specialist who has experience in dealing with different levels of mental pathologies will be able to see them, feel them, and help. To get quality help, look for a professional, not someone who has only completed short courses. Treat your mental health carefully and with love.
Source: aif.ru
