If you are dealing with mental health issues, you may benefit from the expert care of a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental illness. They use a variety of therapeutic techniques to help people better manage their condition and improve symptoms.
Psychiatrists diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, addiction, and personality disorders. They can also provide psychological support for people with long-term, painful, or terminal physical health conditions.
How Can A Psychiatrist Help?
Psychiatrists have a deep understanding of how mental health issues can affect a person and can work with individuals to develop a customized treatment plan to manage their condition effectively. They can also provide treatment to help prevent mental health conditions from occurring or recurring in the future.
Psychiatrists use a range of treatments to help patients with mental health conditions, in particular psychological counselling, or ‘talk therapy’. They are also able to prescribe medications,which can help improve symptoms associated with a mental health condition. Depending on the mental health condition and severity of symptoms will determine the best type of treatment. Sometimes, a combination of treatments may be necessary to maximize benefits.
Psychological Treatments
Psychological treatment, also referred to as talk therapy or psychotherapy, involves talking about your thoughts and feelings with your psychiatrist. They use a range of techniques such as counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Psychological treatment may be provided on a one-on-one basis, with family members, or in a group environment, depending on an individual’s needs.
Counseling focuses on talking about feelings and emotions, and can focus on wider problems, difficult life events, and other issues, such as things that may have happened during childhood. Your psychiatrist will listen to you and help you to explore your own solutions to problems.
CBT is quite different to other types of talk therapy. It deals with current problems, without addressing any wider problems or the underlying cause of a mental health issue. It is based on the concept that thoughts, feelings, actions, and physical sensations are all interconnected. CBT aims to help you deal with problems that may feel overwhelming, by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable components. Your psychiatrist will help you develop skills to practice in daily life to help you change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and to feel more centered and in control of your life.
How Talk Therapy Can Help You Gain Better Control
Talk therapy can be highly beneficial in helping you feel more centered and in control. It can help you to:
- Better understand your own thinking, feelings, and behavior
- Identify alternate ways of thinking or taking action
- Make changes to your behavior
- Better understand the nature of your condition
- Address underlying causes of a mental health condition, such as abuse or an unhappy childhood
- Deal with wider problems, such as a family breakdown
- Learn coping skills to deal with negative symptoms
- Find practical solutions to improve your state of mind on a daily basis
- Develop strategiesto deal with issues such as life stressors, low mood, or relapse triggers
- Better manage problems and feelings long-term, and prevent them from having a negative impact on your life
- Obtain essential life skills, such as problem solving, engaging in more productive behaviors, building confidence, and managing relationships successfully
Medications
There are a number of FDA-approved medications to help with the symptoms of mental health conditions. The type of condition you have and the complexity of symptoms will determine whether medication is the right treatment for you. Medicationsare generally safe, but they can have negative side effects in some people, so it is important to discuss this with your psychiatrist, and to weigh the benefits and risks before commencing treatment. For many people needing medications, such as antidepressants, the benefits, which can include improved mood, less anxiety, feeling calmer and more centered, and the opportunity for a positive quality of life, often outweigh the risks.
If you start medication, your psychiatrist will closely monitor you, especially in the first few weeks of treatment for side effects, such as worsening or changing symptoms, unusual behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. It can take time to find the right medication and dose to successfully alleviate symptoms. Depending on the type and severity of the condition, medications may be used on a short-term or long-term basis, and is often used in conjunction with talk therapy.
Experienced Psychiatrist in Richmond, VA
If you or a loved one is looking for psychiatric support, contact EPIC Health Partners, LLC. Our team of highly skilled and experienced professional counselors, social workers, and dedicated supporting staff provides a comprehensive range of mental health services to address the unique needs of each and every client.
To find out more about our services, call us today at (434) 835-4601, or alternatively, you can use our convenient and secure online appointment request form.
