Psychiatry

Due to their training, a psychiatrist can assess the physical and mental aspects of psychological problems affecting individuals. For example, they can diagnose and treat disorders caused by physical illness, genetic predisposition, family relationships, trauma, or emotions.

When to consult a psychiatrist

In general, consulting a psychiatrist is a great idea when you have difficulties in everyday life:

• You are anxious.
• You have panic attacks.
• You hear voices.
• You feel sad.
• You seem out of control.
• You have thoughts of death.
• You have experienced hallucinations.
• You have a tic and have been told it may be associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Types of patients treated

You can seek consultation at any stage of life. Psychiatrists deal with mental problems in children, adults, and the elderly.

Psychiatric disorders treated

People are increasingly seeking consultations with psychiatrists because they have realized that their mental health is as important as their physical health.

The range of illnesses treated by these specialists is broad and includes:

• Neurocognitive disorders: Neurocognitive disorders affect the ability to think and reason and can be caused by conditions or diseases such as traumatic brain injuries or Alzheimer’s disease.
• Anxiety disorders: Anxiety is an emotion characterized by anticipation of future danger or misfortune, along with excessive worry. Patients develop behaviors to avoid situations that cause anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias.
• Eating disorders and feeding disorders: These disorders include eating-related problems that affect nutrition and health, such as anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
• Circadian rhythm disorders: These are sleep disorders severe enough to require clinical attention, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome.
• Disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders: These disorders include problems with emotional and behavioral self-control.
• Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders: Psychotic disorders cause a loss of contact with reality, such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking and speech. The most notable example is schizophrenia, although other types of disorders can sometimes be associated with a loss of contact with reality.
• Bipolar disorder and related disorders: This class includes disorders with alternating episodes of mania (periods of excessive activity, energy, and excitement) and depression.
• Depressive disorders: These include disorders that affect the way the patient feels emotionally, such as their level of sadness and happiness, and can affect their ability to function. Some examples include major depressive disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders: These disorders involve obsessions and repetitive thoughts and actions. Some examples include obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding disorder, and trichotillomania (compulsively pulling out hair from different parts of the body).
• Somatic symptom and related disorders: A person with one of these disorders may have physical symptoms that cause significant emotional distress and functional problems. There may or may not be another diagnosed medical condition associated with these symptoms, but the reaction to the symptoms is not normal. Disorders include somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and factitious disorder.
• Substance-related and addictive disorders: These include problems associated with excessive use of alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and drugs. This class also includes gambling disorder.
• Personality disorders: A personality disorder involves a lasting pattern of unhealthy emotional instability and behavior that causes problems in life and relationships.
• Trauma- and stressor-related disorders: These are adjustment disorders in which a person has difficulty coping with a stressful life situation during or after it. Some examples include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder.

Psychiatric treatments

Each illness has an appropriate treatment. In general, a psychiatrist may recommend psychotherapy, and in some cases, medications and psychosocial interventions.