A psychiatrist focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. They excel in the mental health field. Psychiatrists attain an exclusive degree that enables them to write prescriptions and execute procedures. However, they differ from psychologists who merely counsel. The psychiatrist begins with evaluating one’s mental and physical health to make deductions. This is ascertained using physical examinations, lab tests, and psychological tests. They refer to several manuals and their medical prowess to discover what mental illness one has come to possess. There are several psychiatric disorders, some more severe than others.
Owing to the complexity of psychiatric disorders, it takes multiple sittings to determine the root cause and treatment course. Patients’ subjective nature decides the treatment course. Sometimes the procedure is a combination of various techniques that help keep people at bay. To earn a psychiatric degree, doctors have to complete a bachelor’s degree, accompanied by a four-year medical school program. They undergo the same training as other physicians. Proficient psychiatrists will do justice to their clients and understand their emotional and mental turmoil. Some people can recover by light therapy, while others require rampant medication.
DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT MENTAL DISEASES
Most people term a mentally ill patient “crazy” or “whack.” These terms in themselves are laboring under a delusion and should not be used. People start believing in it because of friends/family and social media. It can further deteriorate the sufferer’s state, causing them to accept the propaganda. Many people believe that mental illnesses are contagious. This is a wasteful understanding of the situation. No mental illness in the world is contagious. They cannot be transmitted through air or contact.
Another baloney myth states that depression is shared only among women. Depression occurs due to our gene pool and its interaction with the environment. External factors also act as stressors. However, the notion that it primarily swirls among women is false. Several men also undergo depression. But owing to our cultures and upbringing, men are always expected to exhibit a strong front. They feel like vulnerability is for pansies. And blocking all these emotions leads to depression. Men fear the stigma that is attached to revealing their feelings.
Researchers reflected that depression was more familiar among men; however, newer reports have invalidated these findings. Men manifest different symptoms than women. Hence their analysis will also be separate.
People also assume that they have an affinity for depression because their parents were depressed. This is also misguided. You might inherit your parents’ genes and follow a similar path or be a completely different person. It is not guaranteed, and people must stop reading into it. Genes are an innate trigger, but vulnerable situations prompt depression. Individuals grow up telling themselves that they will fall prey to depression, filling in their parents’ shoes is incorrect.
Individuals are led to believe that consulting a psychiatrist makes them look crazy. Hence bottle everything up. But this is a recipe for disaster. It is alleviating to express your thoughts and emotions with other people. Keeping them obstructed will only lead to more damage in the future. One must turn a deaf ear to such mistaken assumptions and do what they deem fit—expressing it cathartic.
Speaking to a psychologist/ psychiatrist does not make one crazy. It is helpful to gain insights from your friends and a professional. A healthcare adviser is non-judgmental and keeps things confidential. They are trained to assist people in undergoing a difficult time emotionally and mentally. By seeking help, a sufferer can turn his/her life around and make more sound decisions.
Some people believe that antidepressants can remedy their emotional turmoil. However, that is incorrect. Most people recover with medication and psychotherapy. A cumulative treatment helps in striking a balance.
Lastly, the most skewed opinion is that therapy is a waste of time. Most people believe in it, and it is not valid. Many sufferers have received help and benefitted by talking to an expert who navigates you without bias. It is a slower process but efficacious. People also say things like it is a waste of money. But, money spent to better one’s inner self is an investment. It prepares people to perform better and deal steadily with the outside world.
CONCLUSION
With time, things are gradually changing. People are warming up to the idea of seeking help from a professional for mental illnesses. But there is still much work to be done and perceptions to be changed.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.