An adult psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialized training and experience in diagnosing and treating various mental health conditions. Learning about adult psychiatry can help you understand what is causing your mental health symptoms, how to manage them, and when it is necessary to seek outside help.

How to know when it is time to seek psychiatric care

What is an adult psychiatrist?

Adult psychiatry is a branch of psychiatry that handles the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions in individuals over 18. An adult psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has completed medical school, internship, and residency in general medicine, as well as an additional 3-5 years of training in psychiatry. They may provide a wide range of services, including individual and family therapy, medication management, and consultation with other healthcare providers.

Reasons to visit an adult psychiatrist

More often than not, many people do not know if they are living with a mental illness. The benefit of adult psychiatry is that it can help determine the type of treatment a patient requires through science-backed research instead of the patient having to guess the root cause of their mental condition.

Patients should heavily consider visiting an adult psychiatrist if they are experiencing any of the following:

• A previously diagnosed mental health condition that seems to be worsening
• Trouble functioning in their daily life
• Having trouble coping with everyday stressors
• Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
• Thoughts or acts of self-harm or harming others
• Uncontrollable or drastic mood swings
• Recent traumatic events that took an emotional toll
• Thinking about or recently had a relapse to an addiction (drug or alcohol)
• Having trouble coping with drastic life changes (death in the family, divorce, etc.)
• Hallucinations or paranoia
• Recurring night or day terrors

Common mental health conditions treated in adult psychiatry

Any reasons mentioned above are enough to want to visit a psychiatrist. They can be linked to serious mental health conditions even if they do not appear this way. Sometimes, the condition is too big for the patient to tackle alone.

A psychiatrist can also help people with the following mental health conditions:

• Substance use disorders (e.g., alcoholism or drug addiction)
• Eating disorders (e.g., anorexia or bulimia)
• Bipolar disorder (Manic depression)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Depression (e.g., clinical, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum, and others)
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Sleep disorders

Treatments a psychiatrist can provide

Adult psychiatrists work with patients to develop a treatment plan that addresses the individual’s needs and is tailored to their lifestyle. Treatment plans may include medication, psychotherapy (talk therapy), or both. Some people may need one type of treatment, while others may benefit from a combination of therapies. New patients should note that medication is usually not prescribed during the initial consultation but after the psychiatrist performs a few tests and a couple of psychotherapy sessions.

During the psychotherapy sessions, the psychiatrist will gain insight into the patient’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These sessions have multiple goals. One is to help the patient understand themselves better and change the patterns causing difficulty in their life. The second revolves around medication. Suppose the psychiatrist recommended the patient take medication as part of their treatment plan. In that case, they will frequently schedule sessions to see if the medication improves the patient’s mental state. They may decide to change the type of medication they prescribed or simply the dosage.

The amount of psychotherapy sessions a patient needs depends entirely on their progression. Some may only need to see their psychiatrist for a few sessions, while others may need to see them for multiple years.

Be wary of self-diagnosis

While the psychiatrist can diagnose and treat mental disorders, it is extremely important that patients not try to diagnose themselves. It can be tempting to self-diagnose, but this can lead to false conclusions. For example, suppose a patient is experiencing symptoms of anxiety. It may be tempting to believe they have an anxiety disorder when a true diagnosis could reveal another underlying problem, such as depression.

Self-diagnosis may also lead to misinformed choices about how much the patient needs, how effective treatment will be and whether or not they should seek help from an adult psychiatry professional.

Get help today

In short, getting in touch with a psychiatrist is best if any of the above information resonates with you. When entering into adult psychiatry, you will work closely with a psychiatrist when undergoing necessary tests to develop a treatment plan to help you better cope with a possible mental health condition and life. If you are ready to get started, call the Future Psych Ketamine Clinics Myrtle Beach office at (843) 788-9718 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you.

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