Introduction
Psychiatry is a highly sought-after field in medicine because it is the only allopathic approach to dealing with mental illness. Psychiatrists usually prescribe specific medication to reduce various symptoms like mood swings, sleep disturbances, substance misuse, etc.
However, some people tend to be skeptical about approaching a psychiatrist. This could be because of stigma, the anti-psychiatry movement, or lack of awareness. In this article, we’ll discuss what psychiatry can do for you and where to seek help.
What is Psychiatry?
Psychiatry is a specialized branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness along with research. As a consumer, this field offers a medical approach to dealing with the psychological side of illness and lack of health. A psychiatrist deals with those areas of illness that cannot be treated by typical allopathy, such as psychosis, psychosomatic symptoms, sleep and consciousness, and neuroses. Typically, psychiatry utilizes pharmacological treatments, which include medication, ECT, and psychotherapy.
Why Do You Need Psychiatry?
- Generally, you might need psychiatry for mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and more.
- Psychiatry can also be used for issues like substance use, emotional problems, adjustment problems, sleep issues, and cognitive difficulties.
- You might need psychiatry if you are facing any of the above-mentioned issues.
- Furthermore, psychiatric interventions could also help you with specific ailments that are comorbidities of other health complications. For example, anxiety, depression, and stress come along with several diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and disabling conditions.
What Can Psychiatry Do For You?
There are several things that psychiatry can do for you. Some of these are described in detail below.
Restored Functionality
Firstly, there are times when psychiatric medication and treatment can restore a person’s ability to function. Whether it’s enabling restful sleep, stabilizing mood, or reducing the intensity of symptoms, psychiatry can increase your consistency with day-to-day responsibilities.
Occupational Psychiatry
Psychiatry can assist you in getting back to work and earning a livelihood. This can benefit a person phenomenally in improving their self-esteem and reducing suicidal tendencies. Researchers write that effective early detection, prompt-focused management, and evidence-based rehabilitation significantly reduce the occupational impact of psychiatric illness [1].
Wellbeing
Since psychiatry can help arrest or eradicate various symptoms of mental health issues, it can promote well-being. Being able to work consistently, sleep and eat better, and be present in the moment allows you to work on your well-being. Eventually, your quality of life improves, and gradually, you can wean yourself off your medication.
Benefits of Psychiatry
Here, we’re going to elaborate on the benefits of psychiatry so you can assess what psychiatry can do for you.
Treatment of Severe Mental Illness
Essentially, psychiatry is the only field in medicine that deals with severe mental illnesses like psychosis. If your psychiatric disorder puts you in a position of harm to yourself or others, pharmacotherapy can help put you in a more stabilized state. Moreover, several illnesses like schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, and bipolar disorder require medication to live with.
Physiological Approach
Since psychiatry is a branch of medicine, it takes a physiological approach to treating illness. Using psychological theories is secondary and more of a conceptual framework. Primarily, psychiatry is about targeting specific symptoms through their biological explanation and using salts and chemicals to overcome them.
Buttressing Psychotherapy
Sometimes, being in therapy can be exhausting, especially if you’ve been doing it for long. At these times, it helps to take additional support of pharmacotherapy in psychiatry to buttress the ongoing treatment. Patients and clients feel more capable and competent to do the work in therapy when they have the physiological support of psychiatry. Research also confirms that psychiatry and therapy combined have the best results [2].
Eclectic Treatments
Psychiatry can play an important role even outside the realm of mental illness. It can be used as an eclectic treatment for various diseases along with conventional treatments. For example, psychiatry contributes to patient well-being in palliative care for chronic and terminal diseases [3].
Promotion of Holistic Health and Well-Being:
Psychiatry recognizes the interconnectedness of mental, emotional, and physical health, promoting a holistic approach to wellness. Psychiatrists collaborate with other healthcare professionals, including primary care physicians, psychologists, social workers, and counselors, to address the complex needs of patients. By integrating medical, psychological, and social interventions, psychiatry aims to optimize health outcomes and improve overall well-being across the lifespan.
Where Do You Get Psychiatry Treatment?
Unfortunately, the ratio of psychiatrists to patients in the world is skewed, with only 1.7 professionals per million people. Thankfully, there are multiple ways you can get yourself good quality psychiatric treatment. Some of these are listed below.
Government Hospitals
Ideally, the best place to seek psychiatric help is a government health institution. Going to a government-appointed psychiatrist is the best way to ensure that you are not prescribed unnecessary dosages or medication. You can go to the nearest primary health center to find information about government psychiatrists.
Local Mental Health Clinic
Sadly, the accessibility and availability of government psychiatrists is not adequate. Therefore, another reasonable option is to find someone in private practice. Look out for local mental health clinics and psychiatry chambers to get yourself the care you need.
Online Options
Finally, a more time-sensitive and cost-effective way to get psychiatric support is to look for online options. Tele-psychiatry is an excellent and practical way to look after your mental health [4]. You can also reach out to our experts at United We Care to get yourself high-quality psychiatric care.
Conclusion
The field of Psychiatry tends to have a veil of mystery to it due to stigma against mental health and lack of awareness. Nevertheless, it is a highly needed field of medicine and offers great benefits to society. Psychiatry can do a lot for you, including restoring functionality, providing a physiological basis for mental illness, and supporting treatment with evidence-based pharmacotherapy.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, we invite you to speak to our experts at United We Care. Rest assured that you can find the best and most appropriate psychiatric interventions for your mental health and well-being.
References
[1] Harvey, S.B. and Henderson, M., 2009. Occupational psychiatry. Psychiatry, 8(5), pp.174-178.
[2] De Jonghe, F.E.R.E.R., Kool, S., Van Aalst, G., Dekker, J. and Peen, J., 2001. Combining psychotherapy and antidepressants in the treatment of depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 64(2-3), pp.217-229.[3] Trachsel, M., Irwin, S.A., Biller-Andorno, N. et al. Palliative psychiatry for severe persistent mental illness as a new approach to psychiatry? Definition, scope, benefits, and risks. BMC Psychiatry 16, 260 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-0970-y
[4] Waugh, M., Voyles, D. and Thomas, M.R., 2015. Telepsychiatry: benefits and costs in a changing health-care environment. International Review of Psychiatry, 27(6), pp.558-568.
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