Psychiatrists treat mental illnesses such as psychosis and depression. In doing so, they are distinguished from psychologists by their authorization to prescribe medication. In addition, psychotherapy is a form of treatment from the psychiatrist.
What is a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists treat mental illnesses such as psychosis and depression. In doing so, they are distinguished from psychologists by their authority to prescribe medication. Psychiatrists are specialists in mental (“psychological”) disorders. Active in clinical psychology, specialists are in the inpatient setting, while medical psychology is predominantly based in outpatient treatment. In an aging society, gerontological psychiatry, which addresses the particular mental illnesses of seniors, is becoming increasingly important. Highly specialized psychiatrists also work in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. Psychopathologists research and identify defined clinical pictures, while pharmacopsychiatry focuses on how medications work. One approach to basic neurological research is biological psychiatry. Forensic psychiatry has a special social responsibility. The training of a psychiatrist begins with the study of medicine. After achieving licensure, he or she completes a four-year clinical residency and is then a psychiatrist.
Treatments
Psychiatrists are confronted with a plethora of clinical pictures. Clinically relevant are very often patients with schizophrenia. Acute episodes of this underlying disorder are accompanied by severe psychosis. Clear symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Patients often hear voices that give them orders and cause them to perform abstruse actions. The psychiatrist must prescribe psychotropic drugs in these serious cases. Depression is another common mental illness that can take many forms. The methods of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis offer prospects of successful treatment here. Accompanying this, the psychiatrist will usually also prescribe antidepressants. Psychiatrists consider schizophrenia and depression to be predominantly genetic. Personality disorders are more likely to be due to social factors. Borderline syndrome, which is associated with extreme emotional lability, is known as a severe disorder. A disturbed self-perception and self-injuries are typical characteristics of the disorder. Personality disorders are mainly treated with psychotherapeutic techniques. Medicinal support is necessary at most when secondary or concomitant symptoms of the illness (“comorbidity”) occur. It is often difficult for psychiatrists to distinguish between symptoms of compulsions and other syndromes. This is especially true because compulsions often occur together with anxiety disorders (“phobias”). Psychotherapeutic approaches have made good progress in the field of compulsions and anxiety in recent years. The treatment of addictive disorders is also a task of psychiatrists. Detoxification supported by medication always precedes psychotherapy. Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia are usually classified as addictive disorders. Therefore, these behavioral disorders are also treated by the psychiatrist.
Diagnostic and examination methods
Psychiatrists diagnose most mental disorders based on the patient interview. In this “exploration,” an experienced psychiatrist also registers the general behavior of his or her counterpart. Body language alone can reveal a lot, because facial expressions and gestures also open up an insight into the life of the soul. In this way, even small lies can be unmasked, for example, when it comes to the amount of addictive substances consumed. The first clues from the patient interview yield suspicions that are to be corroborated with standardized questionnaires. These methodical questionnaires are designed like multiple-choice tests and are statistically evaluated according to scores. Often, the psychiatrist is also helped by talking to relatives, because self-perception and perception by others can differ considerably. In the case of psychiatric illnesses, this applies to an even greater extent. The psychiatrist also has to observe some patients in the hospital for a longer period of time in order to make the often difficult diagnosis. Here, the nursing team provides indispensable assistance to the physician. In the case of many mental disorders, the psychiatrist must rule out underlying physical illnesses.Therefore, blood analyses and X-ray logical procedures as well as an ECG and especially the EEG are indispensable for the work of psychiatrists as well.
What should the patient pay attention to?
Psychiatrists and patients work together as partners in treatment. Therefore, a trusting relationship is necessary. If a patient is seeking outpatient treatment, it is best to ask his or her primary care physician which psychiatrist in private practice is a good fit. This is because there is a wide range of specialization within psychiatry. In the first conversation with the psychiatrist, the patient usually feels quickly whether the personal relationship is “right”. However, attention should be paid to whether the psychiatrist makes rash diagnoses or prescribes medication lightly. This is because some psychotropic drugs, for their part, also harbor the danger of dependence. In particular, immediately prescribing strong tranquilizers (benzodiazepines) is usually not a responsible approach by the psychiatrist.
