If you are living in Corpus Christi and you would like to know about visiting a psychiatrist, then this article is the right place for you to start looking. Here, we will discuss the basic information about this profession and if it is the same as a psychologist, and how they were trained. We will also talk about their duties, where they work, and a lot more.
Before we get into all that, you should know that these professionals have spent so much on their education and it is not just a walk in the park. It requires a lot of their dedication and time. The first step to understanding this occupation is to know what exactly it is all about.
Who is a Psychiatrist?
The aspect of medicine which a psychiatrist practices is known as psychiatry. Psychiatry focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing behavioral, emotional, and mental disorders. Click here https://www.nationalelfservice.net/treatment/mental-illness-prevention/preventing-mental-health-problems-what-can-we-do/ if you want to know how mental illness is prevented. So, any medical doctor that specializes in the treatment of those with mental health conditions and even disorders that stems from substance use is a psychiatrist. They are trained to be able to assess the physical and mental aspects of any psychological issue. Therefore, they offer help to a wide range of people, from someone feeling the most subtle form of mental or behavioral disorder like panic attacks, to someone with a more severe form.
Psychiatrist Training
Anyone aspiring to practice psychiatry will have to finish medical school, take the written examination of the state that would give him or her license to serve as a medical doctor.
Afterward, he or she would have to complete a four-year psychiatry residency. In the first year, the training psychiatrist would work with several types of illnesses, that is, he or she will not solely focus on psychiatry. After the first year, the trainee will then focus on learning how to diagnose and treat mental illnesses.
After the residency training, the psychiatrist can then take an oral or written examination. The examination is set by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and it is only after passing this examination that a person becomes a “board-certified” mental health doctor. This step is voluntary and can be skipped by anyone who does not care about being board certified. Note that training to become a psychiatrist in Corpus Christi is the same as training to be a psychiatrist anywhere else.
Some psychiatrists may also choose to do additional training in other specialized areas of psychiatry after the compulsory residency training. Some of these specialized areas are:
- Geriatric psychiatry
- Addiction psychiatry
- Child and adolescent psychiatry
- Sleep medicine
- Body and Mind (Psychosomatic) medicine
- Pain medicine
- Forensic or legal psychiatry
Where Does a Psychiatrist Work?
Psychiatrists can serve in a wide range of settings; some of these settings include:
- Clinics
- Private practices
- University hospitals
- Psychiatric hospitals
- Community agencies
- Prisons
- Courts
- Nursing homes
- Military places
- Rehabilitation centers
- Hospice programs
- Industries
- Government organizations
- Emergency rooms
However, most psychiatrists prefer to run private practices while some work in various settings at a time.
Is a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist the Same?
Most people tend to get confused between these two professions. Some even believe them to be the same thing, this is however not the case. A psychologist and a psychiatrist are not the same things, however; they can be similar in some aspects. So, what is the major difference?
A psychiatrist is any medical doctor that has completed both medical and the mandatory four-year residency training in the field of psychiatry. They are therefore able to carry out diagnoses, treatment, and prevention for a wide range of mental illnesses and medical conditions.
A psychologist on the other hand is equipped with advanced training and degree. You may read this article to learn more about psychology as a career path. A psychologist has typically undergone extensive research and training in clinical practices and this training enables them to treat mental illnesses using psychotherapy.
Conclusion
Having the right information and even the basic knowledge about these professions will give you enough understanding of why a patient needs to see one if diagnosed with a certain mental illness. Let us remove the ancient thinking that seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist makes you a crazy person. It is not. Know that they took this profession because it is a noble job of protecting and aiding sound mental health.