Many people wrestle with mental health issues. Some try to manage it on their own, some try herbal remedies, others try hobbies and social support. When symptoms persist or worsen, it’s time to consider professional help.
Why Would a Person See a Psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists are specialized medical doctors who are trained in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health issues. You might consider seeing a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner just to figure out what is going on with you. Many people have a variety of different symptoms, even when the diagnosis is the same. Consulting an expert can help you quickly and efficiently narrow down a particular diagnosis. Your psychiatrist can also talk with you about different ways to treat your mental health issues and even prescribe medication to begin a course of treatment for what you are struggling with. You don’t have to try to figure it out on your own.
Is Counseling and Therapy a Good Solution?
Psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors are also highly skilled in assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental health issues. Most of the research will tell you to do counseling, medication, or both. Mental health conditions left untreated tend to get worse not better. The reality is that many people often have a preference for counseling or for medications. Neither one is necessarily wrong nor better, it may be more about what you prefer. Some people enjoy talking through problems and stressors with a counselor to gain insight and new tools for dealing with their struggles. Other people prefer the simplicity, ease, and convenience of taking medication to get relief from their symptoms.
There can be some variable that might necessitate the expertise of a psychiatrist over a counselor. Often times the diagnosis can be a big factor in tipping the scales toward a certain provider. For the basic depression and anxiety, most people will do fine with either. However, if there is a strong family history affecting a good portion of people in your family, this may suggest a more biological and genetic variable which may be more responsive to medications, especially if you don’t have a lot of stressors or past unresolved issues. Psychiatry and medications are well suited to treat the more physiological side of mental health. Additionally, certainly diagnoses may necessitate medication and psychiatric providers. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and ADHD are just a few diagnoses that typically require the right medication to achieve the desired results. All these factors are equally applicable to children and adolescents. Seeing a child and adolescent psychiatric provider is even more specialized as they have to factor in developmental variable and prescribe in dosing specific to children and their age and weight. Working with an expert is often ideal when it comes to the wellbeing of your child.
If you are interested in meeting with our child and adolescent psychiatric provider, or one of our adult psychiatric providers, feel free to contact IPC so you can schedule an appointment to help you complete an assessment, obtain a diagnosis and discuss treatment options. Please call us now at 763-416-4167, or request an appointment on our website: WWW.IPC-MN.COM so we can sit down with you and complete a thorough assessment and help you develop a plan of action that will work for you. Life is too short to be unhappy. Find the peace of mind you deserve.
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