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Psychiatry: What Is Psychiatry & Should I See a Psychiatrist?

If you’re not already familiar with mental health care, it can be difficult to distinguish one mental health profession from the rest. Should you see a psychiatrist, or will a talk therapist do the job? 

Let’s find out which type of mental health care provider is best suited for your goals.

What Is a Psychiatrist?

Psychiatry is a medical specialty concerned with diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral issues. 

There are subcategories of psychiatry, including forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and adolescent psychiatry, each using various psychotherapy treatments and medications. 

These treatments can range from therapy for seasonal depression to prescribing mood stabilizers to performing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). 

When you visit a psychiatrist, you’re seeing a medical professional with nearly a decade of education and field training.

Psychiatrists Can Diagnose

Part of a psychiatrist’s scope of practice is their ability to diagnose. This kind of mental health care provider is a medical doctor with special training in psychiatry. Psychiatrists attend medical school, unlike other mental health professionals like clinical psychologists, social workers, or occupational therapists. 

Participation in additional years of training and educational programs culminates in a special certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, meaning psychiatrists have the expertise to administer a range of laboratory and psychological tests to better understand your needs.

These tests help inform your psychiatric provider with a complete view of your mental health. Because they invest in years of education and training, they’re able to discern how your physiology and psychology can impact one another.

Psychiatrists Utilize a Range of Treatments

Psychiatrists are most commonly known in the United States for their ability to prescribe medicine. Unlike other mental health professionals, psychiatrists can prescribe medications because they are medical doctors. 

While other mental health professionals can utilize various therapies and non-pharmaceutical treatments, they cannot prescribe medication such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers. 

What Are Your Current Needs?

As you think about your current state, do you feel that your mental health symptoms are mild or severe? Are they short-lived or long-lasting? Have you been going to talk therapy for a while? Would you like to explore the medical aspect of your mental health? 

In these cases, you could schedule a visit with a psychiatrist who can evaluate your mental well-being to determine whether a formal diagnosis and prescription may be in your best interest.

Reasons You May See a Psychiatrist

Mood wants to help you find the mental health care that benefits you most. That may be psychiatry, or it may be another form of mental health care. 

Psychiatric disorders aren’t limited to personality disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The below symptoms can indicate that psychiatry is the right choice for you.

You Feel Depressed

Loss, trauma, and environmental factors impact us in various ways. While sadness after these events is typical, long-lasting hopelessness and severe depression are other stories. 

If you have long-lasting hopelessness or depression, you may want to consider psychiatric care to determine a correct diagnosis and treatment plan using talk therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), or antidepressants.

You Feel More Anxious Than Ever

Have you noticed increased physical signs of anxiety? These can include difficulty regulating your breathing, shortness of breath, passing out, or feeling sick to your stomach. 

A visit with a psychiatrist can help you get to the root of your anxiety.

Your Eating and Sleep Habits Have Changed

It is challenging to notice when sleeping and eating habits become irregular in our busy world. Still, you know yourself better than anyone. Have you observed a substantial shift in appetite and your ability to rest peacefully? 

If you have noticed these symptoms, speak with a psychiatrist. 

You’d Like an Expert Mental Health Opinion

Therapists and other mental health professionals can give you tools to help regulate your anxiety or panic disorder emotions, but you may want to explore additional treatment.

Visiting with a psychiatrist may help you discover where your body’s physiology isn’t benefiting your mental health. Your psychiatrist may then decide whether medication is a match for your needs. 

Benefits of Seeing a Psychiatric Care Provider

If you’re on the fence about seeing a psychiatrist, we understand it can be difficult to take action. Seeking therapeutic care is foreign territory for many, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s walk through some of the potential benefits. 

You’ll Get Your Questions Answered

Visiting a skilled psychiatric provider can give you some closure regarding mental health symptoms as you discover more about how you’ve been feeling. Once you understand the causes of your mental health symptoms, you can seek out what type of care you may need.

You May Have Access to Medicine That Can Benefit You

If you’re experiencing mental health symptoms, your psychiatrist may prescribe medication to help regulate the chemical production that influences your moods. Medicine may be the piece you’ve been looking to try, and your psychiatrist is the person who can help you to determine whether it’s your best option.

How Mood’s Psychiatry Subscription Changes the Game 

We know the traditional process for finding mental health care is difficult. We made Mood Health out of a passion born from frustration for mental health services that were not curated towards an individual’s specific needs and were not affordable. We wanted an easier way for people to access virtual care, so we made one. Here’s how our care stands out from the rest. 

We’re happy to offer affordable rates for our services so that you can reasonably factor mental health care into your budget. Your first talk therapy session is only $39, and the first month of your psychiatry subscription is only $45. Your psychiatry subscription includes ongoing care, meaning you’ll check in with an actual human being each month to discuss how your treatment is going. 

Our care is virtual, making it the most convenient option. At Mood, you can meet with your psychiatric care provider or therapist with a device that has a camera and an internet connection. You can schedule your virtual appointment for the same week, too, meaning you can reach out for help and get it without having to wait.

Schedule your appointment to learn more and to experience how our psychiatry subscription can serve you. 

Final Thoughts

Psychiatric providers fill a role in the world that many people need. With Mood, you can access virtual patient care with ease and convenience. When you’re ready to take this step to invest in your mental health, we’ll be right here to help you get connected to psychiatric care providers who can make a difference and help you feel better. 

 

Sources:

When to See a Therapist vs. Psychiatrist | Rethink My Healthcare

What Is Psychiatry? | Psychiatry 

What’s a Psychiatrist? | Your Health in Mind