Both psychiatrists and psychologists work in the mental health field.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has done his MBBS training and then specialized in treating people with mental health problem. . Psychiatrists are uniquely qualified to assess both mental and physical aspects of psychological disturbances. They can treat patients with both medications and psychotherapy (talk therapy).
A psychologist is a mental health professional who has done their graduation in psychology and specialization in clinical psychology. They are not medical doctors, hence can not prescribe medications and treat physical illnesses. They are able to provide various therapies and they are trained to do Certain testing’s like Rorschach, IQ etc.
No. There is a negative belief that many people have which makes them shy about consulting a psychiatrist/psychologist. Because of this belief, many people keep on suffering for long period until it is absolutely distressing for them or their family members or put off treatment when they could have been feeling better long ago. Consulting a mental health professional just means you are struggling with feelings or behavior and would like help. It is similar to consulting a physician for fever. Often as part of treatment you receive a diagnosis but diagnosis does not define who you are and definitely does not mean anything wrong about you. Every person is unique and even the individuals with same diagnosis are different from each other.
The etiology of mental disorders is multi-factorial. It is not same for all the disorders though in most of the cases genetic, biological, socio-cultural and environmental factors play important role in causation. Many a time any kind of stress (e.g. death of loved one, divorce, financial losses, relationship problems) with which the individual has difficulty to cope up can cause mental illness. Usually there are predisposing factors (that cause mental problems), precipitating factors (aggravates illness) and perpetuating factors (that are present persistently and increase the chances of incomplete recovery).
No. Most people who take medications are glad to feel like themselves again and experience relief when symptoms of anxiety, depression, etc. are significantly reduced.
No. As with any serious illness, dealing with depression takes great personal strength. Nonetheless, you may be exposed to negative attitudes about anti-depressant medications, which vary among individuals and cultures. Many students have found it helpful to take the perspective that medication is one form of treatment for depression, just as medication may be used to treat allergies, asthma, infections or diabetes.
No. However, you should never discontinue your medication abruptly. Always talk to your prescriber first before discontinuing any medication.
Psychotherapy is used successfully to treat many mental health conditions. Depending upon the specific mental health disorder and the individual, psychotherapy can be just as effective as medications, and in some cases, more effective.
Often, however, the most effective approach is to use a combination of psychotherapy and medication. For some mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, medication is almost always a necessary part of the treatment.
We recommend seeing a mental health professional to help you determine which treatment is most appropriate for you.
Pharmacotherapy: In this medicines are prescribed to control the symptoms of patients. Helpful in all mental illnesses of biological origin.
Psychotherapy: During psychotherapy, psychiatrist works with patients and guide them to bring in change in their attitude and belief system and helps them develop healthy coping mechanism so that patient can handle all stresses of life without breaking down
Electro convulsive therapy: Commonly known as shock treatment. Here, convulsion is produced artificially by using low voltage current. Now a days used in very few patients. It is a safe treatment and not gory or inhuman as shown in Hindi cinema.
Shock treatments or electroconvulsive therapy(ECT) induce an artificial epileptic seizure by means of a small electric current applied to the skull. The ability of spontaneously occurring epileptic seizures to relieve certain mental illnesses was noted in the last century and led to a search for a safe and effective way to create seizures in non-epileptics. It is thus the seizure and not the electricity or any other means of causing it that is the effective thing in convulsive therapy. Modern ECT is always done under light anesthesia and after a powerful fast-acting muscle relaxant has been administered that totally blocks the visible bodily response to the seizure. Often the only evidence that a seizure has actually occurred is the readout on the EEG(brainwave monitor).
NO. With discovery of newer medicines, use of shock treatment/Electro Convulsive Therapy has reduced. However, it is still very useful in violent and suicidal patients and also when patient is not cooperative or not responding to medicines.
We give you guidance and protocols to adhere to both inside and outside of our office. Follow the treatment regimen and plan of action that we prescribe. Make sure that you follow the medication regimen, attend the psychotherapy and counseling sessions, and keep your life as balanced as you can. It is very important to try and avoid stressful situations, let your loved ones help you whenever possible, and seek help the moment you feel like your mental illness is coming back or getting worse.
We Offer Treatment for Psychological Problems of
Life is like a book and each chapter is unique in its own way. What we experience in chapter 15 is vastly different from what we experience in chapter 3 and chapter 30. Each chapter does its bit to advance the story forward, but there are some which excite us more than others and there are some which might sadden us more than others. And that's why I believe we may need to reach out and seek help during any of the chapters. I, as a professional, am available to help and guide my patient at any stage of this book of Life.
