psychotherapist/psychiatrist ?

ronano

What exactly is the difference between the two ? if i am going to see a psychotherapist is it worth my time going to see a psychiatrist if i am making progress ( it is slow however) with the psychotherapist. My doctor referred me to the psychiatrist even though i told her i was seeing psychotherapist.

MadsL

A psychiatrist can prescribe medication. If your psychotherapist doesn't feel you need medication, then you probably don't.

Have you discussed this with your psychotherapist?

ronano

MadsL wrote:

A psychiatrist can prescribe medication. If your psychotherapist doesn't feel you need medication, then you probably don't.

Have you discussed this with your psychotherapist?

I've been on a few different anti depressants/social anxiety meds previously and to be honest i went into the psychotherapist saying i'd rather not go on them again unless he really thought i needed them. We haven't really talked on the subject outside of it ( i've been going for 8 months)

Kêrmêttê

A psychotherapist or psychologist will try to treat you with various forms or counselling or hypnotherapy and only will use medication as a last resort.

Psychiatrists usually just fling pills at you and are more reluctant to find out the root cause of your problem.

(that's my personal views on them anyway)

luckat

Depends what's wrong with you. If you have struck a rocky patch in life psychotherapy of various sorts can work:

* "talking cures", which mean your talking through the problems and trying to find their basis and their solution

* behavioural solutions, which mean changing the behaviour, on the basis that if you change the behaviour the problems the behaviour cause will cease to exist.

A psychiatrist treats more serious conditions - a psychiatrist is a medical doctor with a specialisation in mental illness. So you're more likely to need a psychiatrist if you have a psychotic illness which will need antipsychotic drugs, or serious depression that will need anti-depressant drugs, for instance.

If psychotherapy is working well for you, maybe you should go on with it. If you need a psychiatrist, any responsible psychotherapist will recommend one.

On the other hand, if you feel that the psychotherapy is not working, and you're slipping towards depression, or if you feel that you may have psychotic symptoms, maybe you should discuss this with both your psychotherapist and your family doctor.

Victor

Kêrmêtt&#234 wrote:

A psychotherapist or psychologist will try to treat you with various forms or counselling or hypnotherapy and only will use medication as a last resort. Psychiatrists usually just fling pills at you and are more reluctant to find out the root cause of your problem. (that's my personal views on them anyway)

Harsh, but true.

Psychologists and psychiatrists are medical doctors. Psychotherapists are a nurse / technician type grade, typically with a BA + a diploma.

Psychotherapists and psychologists do the talking, psychiatrists do the medicating. They are complimentary, not competing, disciplines.