Psychology
Bipolar disorder: highs, lows and staying well
Bipolar disorder causes episodes of depression and of mania or hypomania. With the right medicine, a steady routine and a relapse plan, most people live full lives.
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Psychiatry
Pronounced sy-KY-uh-tree
Also known as Psychiatrist, Psychiatric doctor
The branch of medicine that diagnoses and treats mental illness. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialist training who can prescribe medicine as well as offer therapy.
In Psychology
Psychiatry is the medical speciality for mental, emotional and behavioural illness, including addiction. A psychiatrist first qualifies as a doctor — in Pakistan, MBBS — and then spends several more years training in psychiatry.
Because they are doctors, psychiatrists can check whether a physical cause, such as a problem or a medicine's , lies behind the symptoms. They can order tests, prescribe and adjust medicines, and arrange hospital care. Many also provide talking therapy or work alongside a .
When a psychiatrist is the right first step
- Severe , especially with thoughts of suicide
- — hearing voices, or fixed beliefs others do not share
- or suspected
- Problems with alcohol, drugs or dependence on sleeping pills
- When medicine is being considered, or is not working
Government DHQ and teaching hospitals have psychiatry departments, where you can be seen at government rates.
Where this comes up
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Psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor: who should you see?
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Related terms
- PsychologyNafsiyat, PsychologistThe scientific study of how people think, feel and behave. Most psychologists are not medical doctors and do not prescribe medicine.
- Clinical psychologistPsychologist, TherapistA psychologist trained to assess and treat mental health problems with talking therapy and psychological testing. They are not medical doctors and do not prescribe medicine.
- AntipsychoticAntipsychotics, NeurolepticMedicines that reduce psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, mainly by blocking dopamine. They treat schizophrenia and mania, and are sometimes used for other conditions.
- SSRISelective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SSRIsSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant, used for depression and many anxiety conditions. Examples are sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram, citalopram and paroxetine.