Sometimes life can be overwhelming, and we need some help navigating our challenges. But sometimes it’s not always clear who you should turn to for help. Friends? Family? Medical professionals? Just finding the right help can be overwhelming.
Luckily, mental health care is becoming more destigmatized, and finding a professional to help with your mental health concerns is easier than ever. However, it can be confusing which type of professional you should go to. Should you talk with a therapist? A psychologist? Or how about a psychiatrist?
Psychiatry is the branch of medicine and psychology that focuses on diagnosing mental illnesses and psychological/behavioural disorders. They can provide clients with typical therapy sessions but also prescribe medications and other treatments when necessary.
If you’re seeking some help with your mental health concerns, then you might want to consider a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists work on a wide range of concerns and challenges and are licensed to prescribe you a variety of treatments. This article will go over the main concerns that psychiatrists assist with and help you decide if psychiatry is right for you.
Overwhelm
With everything that’s happened over the past few years, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. Modern life has changed drastically due to COVID-19 and other current events. Such drastic changes can overwhelm the brain, making it hard to adjust to new norms.
Even without so much happening in the world, life can be overwhelming in general. Many people have to juggle various responsibilities such as school, work, and family responsibilities, making life feel quite demanding.
Luckily, a psychiatrist can help you with these feelings of overwhelm. They can talk strategies with you to create a more balanced and manageable life and prescribe medications if you live with depression or anxiety.
Depression
Depression is a very common issue that millions of people live with each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 5% of the world’s adults live with depression. When you’re living with depression, everything can seem gloomy, and your outlook tends to be negative. Even if good things are happening in your life, it can be hard to feel joy or be optimistic.
If you’re living with depression, a psychiatrist can help talk you through the things that are bringing about your gloomy thoughts. You can learn coping techniques and strategies for getting through your worst days. Furthermore, if you and your psychiatrist agree, they can prescribe antidepressants to ease your symptoms and get your life back to normal.
Phobias/Fears
Phobias are uncontrollable and irrational fears. They can take over your life and completely overwhelm you when they arise. Some people have phobias of specific things or situations, such as flying or heights. Others may live with more generalized phobias such as social phobias.
Phobias can be overpowering and take over every aspect of a person’s life. This reduces their quality of life, leading to further problems, such as depression. A psychiatrist will help you get to the root of your phobias and find a strategy for treatment. If you also live with a mental illness due to your phobia, your psychiatrist will help you with this as well.
Substance Use
If your alcohol or drug use is taking over your life, a psychiatrist may be able to help. Substance use often occurs when people feel empty or need a way to cope with the hardships of life. They often turn to substances that will help numb the pain. A psychiatrist can help you figure out why you use alcohol or drugs and come up with a strategy to help you become sober.
Furthermore, substance use is known to increase the likelihood of developing mental illnesses and psychological disorders. If you live with one of these, a psychiatrist will be able to discuss the issue and prescribe the proper treatment to help you feel whole again.
Surviving Abuse
Abuse is one of the scariest situations that anyone can go through. Whether it be physical, sexual, or verbal, abuse can create deep scars that last a lifetime. Abuse further complicates things by potentially turning into a mental illness such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
A psychiatrist will help you heal from the abuse you lived through with therapy and other strategies. They will also be able to help you cope with any mental illness you are living with by prescribing medication, offering therapy, or suggesting other treatments.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing wrong with going to a psychiatrist if you need help. Many people have suffered abuse, significant life events, and mental illnesses that have disrupted their lives.
Psychiatrists have the perfect blend of education in psychology and medicine to help you with various situations. If you are struggling with any of the mentioned concerns, then suffer no more and seek a psychiatrist for help.
About The Guest Blogger
has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
