Psychiatry | Psychiatrists | Psychologists
A psychiatrist or the one you always refer to as a 'shrink' is one who specializes in the treatment of mental illnesses/disorders.
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Some psychiatrists do practise psychotherapy (non-drug treatment of mental disorders) but a psychologist is not a medical doctor and normally does not prescribe any form of medication.
Note:
Psychology can be taken as a degree course whereas 'Psychiatry' is a post-graduate course for medical doctors.
Saying that someone is 'mental' has a lot of sensitive implications. No one or anyone for that matter, likes to be called a psychopath, mentally unstable, a "psycho" or a "mental case".
But hey! Let's have some compassion and look at reality. A crazy person is not necessarily someone who is lacking in knowledge or someone with a low IQ.
Just to ease things off, you can just as well take in this little piece of fact. Well, most of us have been mentally ill at one time or another! It's just a matter of degree.
Weren't you anxious before? Weren't you depressed before? Sometimes you may feel so lousy that you just don't know what to do with it. Haven't you heard of young girls or boys committing suicide after being dumped in a "boy-girl relationship"? Haven't you heard of people committing suicide after failing their exams or failing in their businesses?
Having said that, the term "mental illness" has strong implications both from the legal and social points of view. Therefore, the term has been restricted to those with severe mental disorders.
If you remember module 3, pathology refers to something 'abnormal' either structurally or functionally. So, who should be the judge in deciding whether one is normal or abnormal mentally?
This would be an interesting debate subject but we should skip this "circular" discussion. After all, no one is perfect and the whole matter is truly subjective.
From a practical point of view, one should consult a doctor for consultation for mentally related problems and avoid self-treatment; unless one is a psychiatrist. After all, even psychiatrists need treatment from another psychiatrist or expert if they experience such problems.
In this age of challenges, social pressures and comparisons, mental disorders or problems are common. Nevertheless, most people prefer to lie low and avoid treatment that will otherwise easily reduce the emotional suffering.
What happens when the emotional pain becomes so severe that you can't just ignore it and at this juncture, it is already an inevitable part of life.
You have to seek help. Most people are not used to go to a doctor and complain about being depressed, for example, after being dumped by a boyfriend, failing in the career or not being able to make ends meet.
Somehow or other, the pain will go off. It's a matter of time. But for some, the initial pain may be so severe that it is difficult to tolerate even for a second.
That's when you need to be protected by short-term medical treatment until the emotional pain wanes off over time. Ladies and gentlemen, it is better that way than to try to treat yourself by taking drugs on your own or drinking all night long hoping to swallow your sorrows.
Be smart and do the smart thing; consult your doctor who can probably do much more to alleviate the suffering before the suffering gets too hot to handle.
Though this may be an interesting subject, I have to remind myself that I'm supposed to cover only the basics and to give you an overview. For specific details or disorders, why not visit the links below?
Links:
Mental Health Program from World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/mental_health/en/
National Institute of Mental Health:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Some psychiatrists do practise psychotherapy (non-drug treatment of mental disorders) but a psychologist is not a medical doctor and normally does not prescribe any form of medication.
Note:
Psychology can be taken as a degree course whereas 'Psychiatry' is a post-graduate course for medical doctors.
Saying that someone is 'mental' has a lot of sensitive implications. No one or anyone for that matter, likes to be called a psychopath, mentally unstable, a "psycho" or a "mental case".
But hey! Let's have some compassion and look at reality. A crazy person is not necessarily someone who is lacking in knowledge or someone with a low IQ.
Just to ease things off, you can just as well take in this little piece of fact. Well, most of us have been mentally ill at one time or another! It's just a matter of degree.
Weren't you anxious before? Weren't you depressed before? Sometimes you may feel so lousy that you just don't know what to do with it. Haven't you heard of young girls or boys committing suicide after being dumped in a "boy-girl relationship"? Haven't you heard of people committing suicide after failing their exams or failing in their businesses?
Having said that, the term "mental illness" has strong implications both from the legal and social points of view. Therefore, the term has been restricted to those with severe mental disorders.
If you remember module 3, pathology refers to something 'abnormal' either structurally or functionally. So, who should be the judge in deciding whether one is normal or abnormal mentally?
This would be an interesting debate subject but we should skip this "circular" discussion. After all, no one is perfect and the whole matter is truly subjective.
From a practical point of view, one should consult a doctor for consultation for mentally related problems and avoid self-treatment; unless one is a psychiatrist. After all, even psychiatrists need treatment from another psychiatrist or expert if they experience such problems.
In this age of challenges, social pressures and comparisons, mental disorders or problems are common. Nevertheless, most people prefer to lie low and avoid treatment that will otherwise easily reduce the emotional suffering.
What happens when the emotional pain becomes so severe that you can't just ignore it and at this juncture, it is already an inevitable part of life.
You have to seek help. Most people are not used to go to a doctor and complain about being depressed, for example, after being dumped by a boyfriend, failing in the career or not being able to make ends meet.
Somehow or other, the pain will go off. It's a matter of time. But for some, the initial pain may be so severe that it is difficult to tolerate even for a second.
That's when you need to be protected by short-term medical treatment until the emotional pain wanes off over time. Ladies and gentlemen, it is better that way than to try to treat yourself by taking drugs on your own or drinking all night long hoping to swallow your sorrows.
Be smart and do the smart thing; consult your doctor who can probably do much more to alleviate the suffering before the suffering gets too hot to handle.
Though this may be an interesting subject, I have to remind myself that I'm supposed to cover only the basics and to give you an overview. For specific details or disorders, why not visit the links below?
Links:
Mental Health Program from World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/mental_health/en/
National Institute of Mental Health:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Comments
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