How Do You Choose Between A Psychologist and A Psychiatrist?
How Do You Choose Between A Psychologist and A Psychiatrist? . While we all might have opted for keeping all of our issues to ourselves previously, we are now coming to terms with the fact that asking for professional help is not only advisable, but also necessary in most cases. As explained on this page, taking care of our mental health is extremely important.
If something is bothering you and you feel that you would benefit from professional help, the first thing you will have to do is decide whether to visit a psychologist or a psychiatrist. This decision, however, isn’t made lightly. That’s simply because most people aren’t sure about the differences between these two professions.
The worst thing you can do is give up on the idea of asking for help just because you can’t tell right away which of these two experts should be the one to provide you with that help. Instead of giving up, you should take your time to understand the difference and then contact the professional you believe would be right for you. So, today we are going to explain what both of these experts do in order to help you decide whether to contact a psychologist or a psychiatrist for your particular problem.
Psychologists
The very first thing you need to understand is that psychologists don’t actually have a medical background. These experts have a degree in psychology instead. That being said, their qualifications and their ability to help you shouldn’t be taken for granted. In other words, even though they don’t have a medical background, they are certainly well-versed in mental issues.
Here are some tips on how to choose between these two experts: https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Between-a-Psychiatrist-and-a-Psychologist
In addition to getting their degree in psychology, most of these experts have specialized in one type of treatment or another. That, in turn, has made them psychotherapists.They perform different types of psychotherapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emdr therapy, psychodynamic therapy, etc. Talk therapy is usually the main way in which they manage to help people. Keep in mind that this is not the person to go to if you want certain medications prescribed to you.
Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists, on the other hand, are the ones who can prescribe you medication. This is because they actually do have a medical background. These people have studied medicine and have become doctors first, after which they have decided to specialize in psychiatry. So, when you visit a psychiatrist, they will probably look at your whole medical history.
Prescribing medication is not their biggest weapon, though. Sure, it’s what makes them different than psychologists and it’s what probably puts them at an advantage, but here’s the thing. These professionals can also conduct talk therapy with their patients. Now, compared to psychologists, they might not be well-versed in certain therapy techniques and they haven’t specialized in a particular type of therapy.
Yet, this doesn’t mean that you cannot get professional help from them aside from prescribed medications. Psychiatrists are definitely qualified enough to talk about your issues, whether you are dealing with anxiety, depression or any other type of a mental disorder. If you are dealing with something more severe, they can accelerate the healing process by prescribing medication. You should also have a reliable source of buying their prescribed medication afterward. Since meds are expensive, try ordering them online from Canadian pharmacies. Medication for mental health, like Wellbutrin XL, are available there at significantly lower costs.
The Bottom Line
As clearly explained at Genesight, both of these experts play a significant role in keeping your mental health in check. The most important thing to do is ask for help when you are having issues. In other words, it might not matter too much which one of these two professionals you will contact first. Why is that, though?
Well, the explanation is rather simple. Instead of working separately and never letting their two worlds meet, the truth is that these two experts definitely come in contact a lot. In other words, their worlds are intertwined, meaning that you can contact a psychologist and later end up being referred by them to a psychiatrist, or vice versa.
So, the bottom line is that the most significant step you need to take is actually ask for professional help. The experts you contact will know exactly if they will be able to help you or if you should be referred to a different person. Both a psychologist and a psychiatrist can be of huge assistance, regardless of the actual issue you are dealing with.
