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Thinking about visiting a shrink ? We hope this article makes the experience a little predictable and slightly more comfortable.
Who is a psychiatrist ?
Psychiatry is a medical specialty dedicated to the study and treatment of abnormalities related to perception, cognition, mood and behavior. A Psychiatrist is a medically trained professional who holds an additional qualification beyond their MBBS, usually a masters or diploma (MD or DPM) in psychiatry. They are licensed to practice medicine and to conduct psychotherapy.
What does a psychiatrist do ?
A psychiatrist evaluates and treats people with mental illness. In addition to mental illness, psychiatrists can also help in coping with stress or loss, with improving sleep,with issues related to relationships, parenting, substance use . . . the list is endless. Simply put a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who deals with distress arising from perception, cognition, mood and behavior. The issues dealt with could be anything ranging from a child who has difficulty with academics or a couple who cannot get along ,to someone with complex brain disorders such as schizophrenia or dementia. He/she can either prescribe medications and/or provide counseling (psychotherapy) depending upon the issues that you go through.
What happens during the first consultation ?
The first consult is a meeting between a service provider and a service user. From the client’s point of view, it is an interaction that gives them a space to express their needs/issues. The psychiatrist will make an attempt to understand the needs of the client. They may ask you questions that help them understand the context of the discomfort that you are going through. This may include information that you may consider private and sometimes even irrelevant. Somewhere near the end of you consult, they should be able to formulate a theory of causation (diagnosis) and maybe even suggest a direction to help you cope better. Sometimes, one session may not be enough to cover everything, and they may suggest another before they come up with a treatment plan.
What is the psychiatrist thinking ?
Three important things
- What is this person going through ? – This involves taking an objective, non judgemental stance that helps the doc better understand what you are going through. To further confirm their understanding, they may suggest psychological assessments, blood tests or sometimes even brain scans.
- Can I help this person ? If yes, what kind of treatment (medication/therapy/combo) best suits this person. If not, what is the next best step ?
- What is the best way for me to engage this person in a therapeutic process.
With the belief that I have in my profession, I would like to trust that most psychiatrists will be able to perform 1 and 2 quite effectively. The engagement bit may not work well all the time, as it may rely on several personal variables and not only knowledge and/or experience.
What should you be thinking ?
Have I been able express my concerns adequately ? Are my concerns understood ? Do I relate to what the psychiatrist is asking/telling me ? Do I understand the diagnosis and treatment methods ? Do I have any questions or concerns ?
If everything goes well, you are going to walk out of the consult holding a better understanding of your troubles and a way forward. Your doctor will ask you to review in a few days/weeks depending on the treatment initiated.
What if I am prescribed medication ?
Almost every medicine that has been used to treat mental illness works on the balancing out certain chemical messengers in the brain. There are around 40 identified chemical messengers, and mental illnesses are said to be caused due to imbalances in these. Not everyone requires medication, but there are certain conditions where medication is the primary choice of treatment. If you are prescribed medication, here are the questions you should know the answers to.
1)Why am I being prescribed medication? How is it going to help me ? 2)In terms of improvement what should I look out for ? 3)How long should I take the medicine for ? 4)Are there any adverse effects I should watch out for or report?
What the psychiatrist is not going to do
They aren’t going to read your mind. They aren’t going to fix your problems instantly. They aren’t going to judge you. They aren’t going to break confidentiality. They aren’t going to force you to take dangerous/addictive medication.
