Who is a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists are medical professionals specializing in diagnosing and treating mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders. They can treat issues such as panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, frightening hallucinations, or “hearing voices.” They can also treat long-term problems such as sadness and feelings of helplessness or anxiousness.
Psychiatrists can order laboratory and psychological tests to evaluate the mental state of patients. They refer to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to determine the patient's mental illness. The American Psychiatric Association publishes this manual for psychiatrists to diagnose mental health issues. Insurance companies also use it to determine medical expense reimbursements.
What kind of education and training do psychiatrists receive?
Aspiring psychiatrists complete their graduation with subjects such as biology, chemistry, and mathematics. They then enroll in a medical school to earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree. Here, they study and train for four years. The first two years of medical school involve learning theory in classrooms and laboratories.
During the following two years, students learn to diagnose and treat illnesses in clinical settings such as clinics and hospitals. This happens under the guidance of experienced doctors and specialists.
After completing medical school, they do a psychiatric residency program where they gain hands-on practical experience. During the first year of residency, these doctors train in clinical settings with patients with various medical illnesses. The following three years involve learning to diagnose and treat mental health. They learn multiple forms of psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment, and medications.
Psychiatrists can also study and train further for a year or two to specialize in a subject or subfield of psychiatry. This is called a fellowship, and those who complete it are the best in their field. Psychiatrists can become board-certified by clearing an oral and written examination conducted by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Psychiatrists must clear this examination every ten years to maintain their certification.
What subspecialties can psychiatrists pursue?
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology recognizes the following subspecialties:
- Addiction psychiatry: Addiction psychiatrists diagnose and treat people with drug, alcohol, and other substance-related disorders. They also help manage patients with dual-diagnosed substance-related disorders along with other psychiatric disorders.
- Child and adolescent psychiatry: Psychiatrists pursuing this subspecialty focus on assessing and treating behavioral, developmental, emotional, and mental disorders in children and adolescents.
- Clinical neurophysiology: Psychiatrists focusing in this area specialize in evaluating and treating autoimmune, central, and peripheral nervous system disorders utilizing clinical evaluation and electrophysiologic testing techniques, such as electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), and nerve conduction studies (NCS).
- Consultation-liaison psychiatry: Consultation-liaison psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental concerns in patients with complex illnesses like heart disease, organ transplantation, kidney failure, cancer, high-risk pregnancy, brain trauma, and HIV infection. This subspecialty focuses on patients with chronic or acute medical, obstetrical, neurological, and surgical conditions where mental health symptoms impact their medical care and quality of life.
- Forensic psychiatry: Forensic psychiatrists concentrate on the links between psychiatry and administrative, criminal, and civil laws. They work closely with legal professionals and treat incarcerated individuals in prisons and forensic psychiatric hospitals.
- Geriatric psychiatry: Geriatric psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders in adults over 60. They are especially adept in managing chronic illnesses like dementia that are unique to this age group.
- Pain medicine: Psychiatrists specializing in pain medicine treat patients with chronic, acute, or cancer-related pain in both outpatient and hospital settings. Typically, they work in coordination with other specialists to offer patients comprehensive treatment.
- Sleep medicine: Sleep medicine specialists are proficient in diagnosing and managing clinical conditions that interfere with - or occur during - sleep or result from disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle. These psychiatrists receive advanced training in comprehensive polysomnography and can manage research-backed sleep laboratories.
Are psychiatrists and psychologists the same?
No, psychiatrists and psychologists are not the same. While psychiatrists are medical doctors, psychologists have doctoral degrees (Ph.D.). That is why psychiatrists can prescribe medication while psychologists cannot.
Psychologists treat patients with psychotherapy or talk therapy. On the other hand, psychiatrists treat patients through a combination of talk therapy and medication. Further, psychiatrists treat more complex mental health conditions than psychologists.
What conditions do psychiatrists treat?
Psychiatrists treat personality disorders, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, postpartum depression, and panic disorders. They can also help with mood disorders, gambling addiction, eating disorders, depression, and bipolar disorders.
You can see a psychiatrist near you for Alzheimer's disease, alcohol or substance abuse, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder, or body dysmorphic disorder. Besides these issues, psychiatrists also treat the following:
- dissociative disorder
- suicidal thoughts
- Schizoaffective disorder
- uncontrolled emotional outbursts
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- hoarding disorder
- gender dysphoria
You can also see a psychiatrist if you have a poor self-image, poor concentration, thoughts of hurting yourself, or problems adjusting to life changes.
What kind of treatments do psychiatrists provide?
Psychiatrists provide various treatments, including psychotherapy, medication, and other treatments. Psychotherapy involves talking to the patient to treat or manage disabling or troubling symptoms so that the patient can lead a normal life. Depending on the patient's condition, this can take anywhere from a single session to sessions lasting a week, a month, or even years. One can do psychotherapy individually, in groups, or with the family.
Psychiatric medication can help correct chemical imbalances in brain chemistry. Psychiatrists often combine both treatment options and see patients on an ongoing basis to monitor the effects of medication. Psychiatrists can prescribe hypnotics, antidepressants, stimulants, mood stabilizers, sedatives, anxiolytics, and antipsychotic medication.
Some other treatments that psychiatrists provide include
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (involves applying electrical currents to the brain to treat severe depression or conditions that have not responded to other treatments)
- Light therapy (found to be effective in treating seasonal depression)
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Vagus nerve stimulation
- Deep brain stimulation
How to find a good psychiatrist near you in Hollywood, Florida
If you have any of the conditions mentioned above, you should see a psychiatrist immediately. Further, you can visit this specialist if you have excessive or irrational fears, engage in risky behavior, or if your school or work performance has been declining steadily.
It can be challenging to locate a proficient psychiatrist in Hollywood, Florida. But Zocdoc can help you here. You can speak with a psychiatrist in your neighborhood within 24 hours of booking an online consultation or in-person appointment from the comfort of your home on Zocdoc.
Enter your symptoms or condition, location, and insurance provider on the Zocdoc website to begin your search. Zocdoc will provide you with a list of the best psychiatrists near you. Next, choose a psychiatrist based on their profile from the offered list.
Their profiles include information about each provider's wait times, office locations, hospital affiliations, language, and whether or not they accept new patients and offer pediatric care. Further, each healthcare practitioner's profile details their education and training, clinical experience, medical specializations, certifications, licensures, honors, and accreditations. Additionally, you may read verified patient testimonies to make a more informed decision. Read the frequently asked questions section to discover the common causes for which patients choose that healthcare provider.
Depending on the availability of the psychiatrist, you can schedule an appointment on Zocdoc in advance or on the spot. Additionally, you can schedule appointments on weekdays, on weekends, before 10 a.m., or after 5 p.m.
Booking appointments on Zocdoc is free, safe, and quick!
Statistics on psychiatrists in Florida and the conditions they treat
According to the May 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2,490 psychiatrists in Florida in 2021.
According to America's Health Rankings, about 14.7% of adults in Florida reported suffering from a depressive disorder, including depression, minor depression, major depression, and dysthymia, in 2020. Women (19.2%) were more likely to be depressed than men (9.8%). Those aged 18 to 44 were more depressed, with 16.2% falling into this category. The percentage was lower in those aged 45 to 64 (14.7%) and those 65 and above (12.5%).
Further, in 2020, about 32.9% of adults in the state reported, on average, sleeping for less than seven hours in 24 hours. This was higher than the national average of 32.3%. More men (34.6%) than women (31.4%) suffered from insufficient sleep. The condition was more likely in those aged 18 to 44, with 35.7% falling in this category. The percentage was lower in those aged 45 to 64 (35.5%) and those 65 and older (25.5%).
Sources
Psychiatry.org[1]
Psychiatry.org[2]
WebMD
Cleveland Clinic
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
America's Health Rankings[1]
America's Health Rankings[2]
American Board of Medical Specialties
World Health Organization
