What is psychiatry, and who is a psychiatrist?
Psychiatry focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing emotional, mental, and behavioral problems. Psychiatrists are doctors who specialize in this area. They evaluate psychiatric disorders at psychological and physical levels and focus on providing illness-specific care.
Psychologists vs. psychiatrists
As explained above, a psychiatrist is a medical professional. They are empowered to recommend drugs and other medical procedures. A psychologist holds a doctorate (PhD) in clinical psychology and is trained in clinical practice and research. Psychologists use psychotherapy (talk therapy) to treat disorders related to mental health. They cannot prescribe medication.
Therapists vs. psychiatrists
Therapists are experts in mental health who hold a master's degree in disciplines such as psychology, counseling psychology, or family therapy. They are qualified to conduct mental health assessments and use therapeutic strategies like talk therapy.
Two examples of therapists are licensed professional clinical counselors and social workers. A therapist cannot prescribe medication, while psychiatrists can diagnose and prescribe medicines for treating mental health problems.
Neurologists vs. psychiatrists
Neurologists treat and manage nervous system conditions, including those affecting the brain, nerves, and spinal cord. They are experts in the anatomy, function, and disorders impacting your nerves and organ system. While psychiatrists and neurologists treat illnesses that affect the brain, neurologists are more concerned with the physical aspects of the condition and symptoms. In contrast, psychiatrists deal with the brain's cognitive and behavioral characteristics.
Psychiatrists do not work with disorders that impact the spinal cord and nerves, while neurologists diagnose and treat these conditions. Both doctors are authorized to prescribe medications, and both might be involved in treating some brain-related diseases.
Education and training for psychiatrists
To become a psychiatrist, one must complete a four-year-long undergraduate program covering chemistry, biology, physics, and advanced math courses. Next, they must pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and enroll in medical school. The first two years of the graduate program will cover theoretical coursework. Aspiring psychiatrists will complete clinical rotations in various hospital settings during the third and fourth years.
After graduating with an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) or a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree, they must complete a four-year residency program in psychiatry. The program's first year involves general training, while the remaining years cover coursework on psychiatry.
Prospective psychiatrists must then clear a national exam to obtain a medical license. Some U.S. states require aspirants to pass an additional exam. Once psychiatrists pass the exam, they can apply to the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology for certification. Psychiatrists must renew the certificate every ten years.
Different subspecialties for psychiatrists
Once they obtain standard qualifications, psychiatrists can specialize in different areas of psychiatry by completing fellowship programs. The various subspecialties they can pursue include:
- Neuropsychiatry: This covers diagnosing and treating mental disorders that result from illnesses or injuries of the nervous system.
- Adolescent and child psychiatry: It focuses on behavioral and cognitive conditions among children, adolescents, and teenagers.
- Geriatric psychiatry: This field focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental and emotional issues in people aged over 65.
- Forensic psychiatry: It concerns the various applications of psychiatry in criminal, courtroom, and correctional settings.
- Addiction psychiatry: This focuses on treating people with substance abuse or addiction disorders.
- Psychosomatic medicine: This practice is also known as consultation-liaison psychiatry. It concentrates on the relationship between physical and mental illnesses.
- Occupational psychiatry: It focuses on the importance of work in people's lives and how organizations can create a healthy environment for their employees.
- Emergency psychiatry: This area concerns the treatment and rehabilitation of people in emergencies, such as psychosis, self-harm, and attempted suicide.
What do psychiatrists do?
When you visit a psychiatrist near you, they will first ask you about your mental and physical concerns. The session may entail a medical examination, laboratory tests, and a psychological assessment. Psychiatrists address several kinds of mental conditions and disorders.
What conditions do psychiatrists treat?
Psychiatrists can treat and manage a wide range of mental health disorders. Some of these conditions include:
- Anxiety disorders: These disorders include phobias, social anxiety, panic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can evoke repetitive feelings of panic and fear. These feelings can last a long time and interfere with an individual's daily life.
Anxiety disorders often involve physical indications such as trembling, feeling weak or tired, trouble sleeping, rapid breathing (hyperventilating), sweating, or heart palpitations. In some cases, anxiety can also have a medical cause. Anxiety has been linked to conditions like diabetes, respiratory issues, heart disease, chronic pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. Patients with anxiety disorders can benefit from both psychotherapy and medications. Psychiatrists may prescribe short-term medications to relieve symptoms.
- Mood disorders: Mood disorders involve persistent changes in emotional state. A person with a mood disorder may experience long periods of extreme sadness, happiness, anger, irritability, etc. These impact a person's behavior and their ability to perform routine tasks at home, work, or school. Examples of such disorders include depression and its subtypes, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bipolar disorder.
A widely prevalent mood disorder, depression is typically characterized by sadness, hopelessness, difficulty sleeping, loss of interest in activities, frequent mood changes or irritability, and loss or gain in appetite and anxiousness.
- Personality disorders: People with personality disorders experience long-lasting and disruptive patterns of thinking, moods, and behaviors when interacting with others. Such individuals usually display abnormal behaviors and have a distorted perception of reality across various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and social scenarios. Additionally, they may have trouble forming stable relationships, have unrealistically high or low self-esteem, and not recognize their own troubling behaviors or the negative effect they have on others.
- Substance abuse and addiction disorders: These disorders affect a person's brain and behavior and lead to the inability to control the use of harmful substances. It may involve misusing illicit drugs, prescription medication, alcohol, and other illegal substances.
Common symptoms include an increased desire for a particular substance, lack of self-control, avoiding responsibilities, frequently missing school or work, experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using the drug, and spending money on substances even when you cannot afford them.
- Eating disorders: These behavioral disorders are characterized by disturbance in eating patterns and are often associated with distressing thoughts and feelings. Eating disorders usually occur along with other psychiatric problems like mood disorders or substance abuse disorders. These can develop at any age. However, they often develop in adolescence or young adulthood. Some prevalent eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, pica, and rumination disorder.
Treatment and medication ordered by psychiatrists
After making a diagnosis, the psychiatrist informs you of your situation and works with you to create a treatment plan. They may use any of the following as part of the treatment:
- Psychotherapy, or talk therapy
- Light therapy, which mainly treats seasonal depression
- Medication
- Brain stimulation therapies including vagus nerve stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, or deep brain stimulation.
Some common drugs that psychiatrists prescribe include the following:
- Antidepressants: Antidepressants are prescription drugs that help treat depression. Psychiatrists also prescribe these for conditions like anxiety, bulimia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are various types (classes) of antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.
- Stimulants: Stimulants speed up the body's functions by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine activity, which can make you more physically active and mentally alert. Psychiatrists prescribe these medications for conditions like ADHD, binge eating disorder, and narcolepsy.
- Antipsychotic medications: Antipsychotic medications mainly treat conditions that cause or involve psychosis, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and delusional disorder. These drugs can also help treat conditions not related to psychosis, including Tourette syndrome, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Antipsychotic medications are primarily of two types: first-generation (typical) and second-generation (atypical).
- Sedatives and hypnotics: Sedatives are a broad class of prescription drugs that slow your brain's activity. Its uses range from treating anxiety and insomnia to anesthesia purposes. Doctors often associate sedatives with hypnotic drugs and group them into one class: sedative-hypnotics. Common types of this medication include benzodiazepines and barbiturates.
- Anxiolytics: Anxiolytics help treat symptoms of anxiety. Psychiatrists prescribe this medication for conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder. Various types of drugs have anxiolytic effects. These include antihistamines, benzodiazepines, and beta-blockers.
- Mood stabilizers: Mood stabilizers help regulate the mood swings that occur with conditions such as bipolar disorder by reducing abnormal brain activity. In some cases, psychiatrists might prescribe these medications along with antidepressants. Lithium and anticonvulsant drugs are among the widely used mood stabilizers.
Why should you visit a psychiatrist?
There are several reasons to see a psychiatrist. Some of the signs that indicate you should see one include the following:
- Recurring worry or anxiety
- Difficulties adjusting to changes in life
- Chronic depression
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts
- Delusions or hallucinations
- Inability to concentrate
- Body image issues
- Excessive alcohol or drug use
- Regular, uncontrolled outbursts of emotion
- Sleep disorders
Find the best psychiatrist near you in Smyrna, Georgia
Seeing a psychiatrist with whom you are comfortable and can openly discuss your mental or emotional concerns is crucial. To ensure you find a psychiatrist who matches your requirements, visit the Zocdoc website.
Start by creating an entirely free account on the platform. Then, in the search bar, enter the condition you are dealing with or the procedure you need to undergo. The platform will ask you a few simple questions to ensure it can provide you with the right mental health specialist. Based on your needs, our algorithm will provide you with a list of the top-rated psychiatrists in Smyrna, Georgia.
Zocdoc also has a few advanced search filters such as date, time of appointment, gender of doctor, availability, distance from your area, languages spoken by the practitioner, and so on. These factors ensure you find a psychiatrist who provides maximum comfort and fits your criteria.
Using Zocdoc's insurance detector, you can easily identify an in-network psychiatrist in your area. Adding your insurance information to your account further simplifies the process. However, many doctors' offices still require you to carry your insurance card in person, so remember to take it with you on the day of your appointment. If you have any other insurance-related queries, visit Zocdoc's patient help center.
If you cannot make an in-person visit, you can book an online appointment facilitated via a video call with the doctor. It is common for people to make online appointments with their psychiatrists if they cannot visit them. To make the right choice, you can go through the details about all the practitioners listed on this platform, such as their education and training, experience, certifications, licenses, clinical interests, etc. You can also find verified reviews about these doctors from their previous patients to help you choose a competent professional.
Zocdoc helps you find a psychiatrist near you for all your mental health concerns. All bookings on this platform are easy, quick, and 100% free!
Statistics related to psychiatrists in Georgia and the U.S.
As per a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, there were about 25,520 psychiatrists employed in the U.S. as of 2021. Most worked in physicians' offices (~7,980) and general medical and surgical hospitals (~4,580). About 380 psychiatrists were employed in Georgia as of May 2021.
As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019, 20.3% of U.S. adults reported receiving mental health care. Of them, 16.5% had used prescription medicine for their mental health, and 10.1% had sought professional counseling or therapy. In comparison to men, women were more likely to have sought some mental health treatment.
The data on Mental Health America's website revealed some concerning facts as of 2021. Nearly 75,000 young adults in Georgia had depression and did not receive treatment, while about 76,000 had major depressive episodes. Only roughly 14,000 youths in the state received some consistent mental treatment.
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