07/11/2018 · Author: Psychosomatic Psychologist · Comments: ·
Really. All these specialists work with the psyche, but why are these different professions? Or do these words unite those who actually do the same thing? Let's figure out how a psychiatrist differs from a psychotherapist and psychologist.
First, let’s define what each specialist does. And for this we explore ourselves a little.
Our psyche performs many functions, which can be classified as follows:
- consciousness,
- intelligence,
- memory,
- thinking,
- emotions,
- will,
- attention,
- perception.
All these are manifestations of the psyche, and all these points are closely interconnected with each other. You do all this automatically every day.
There are levels of disorders: from mild cases to complex cases. For example, you may have problems communicating. At first there is nothing wrong with this.
But over time, if you start focusing on this, then neuroses, self-examination and withdrawal into oneself will arise. As a result, it will be difficult to express yourself in the world. And perhaps a crisis will come.
The simplest violations are related to items such as will and attention from our list. They are responsible for the ability to adapt to society, and this is where difficulties in relationships with people arise: with the opposite sex, at work, in society.
A psychologist works with these points. Its task is to shift your attention to the sources of problems that you do not see. Work with your ability to control yourself, make decisions and focus on what is important.
What does a psychologist treat?
The answer is nothing. A psychologist is not a doctor.
He does not make diagnoses and works with healthy people. Helps to improve relationships or determine self-realization.
If you have a request to understand yourself, go to him. Midlife crisis and relationship problems too.
Since there are quite a lot of situations, this profession also has variations, for example, clinical psychologist.
Clinical psychologist - who is it and what does he do?
This specialist also works with healthy people, but the direction of his activity is already “more medical” in nature.
That is, if an ordinary psychologist is a professional with a social and pedagogical orientation, then a clinical psychologist deals with neurotic patients (whose disorders are more pronounced).
During their training, they study special subjects: addiction medicine, neurology and others. Most often, this specialty is acquired at medical universities.
What is the difference between a psychologist and a clinical psychologist?
The first, as a rule, deals with individual situations in the short term, while the second deals with chronic problems that require much more time to resolve.
Let's explain with examples.
A psychologist can help with anxiety relief, increases a person’s social adaptation, helps in decision making, and a clinical psychologist can work with psychological trauma from somatic illnesses, grief from loss, and psychological trauma after violence or an attack on a person.
But in both cases, the work takes place with healthy people.
Also, the second group of specialists can work with those who have lost speech or memory as a result of accidents, injuries or illnesses. These are also mentally healthy people, they are in a clear consciousness, but in addition they need adaptation.
A short summary: all specialists in this category work not with diseases, but with conditions that make life difficult for people. Such conditions include guilt, resentment, shame, panic attacks, anxiety, etc. That is, they change a person’s attitude towards life and towards themselves.
But if during consultations there is a suspicion that the client is beginning to develop a mental disorder, then it will be their duty to refer him to another specialist.
What does a psychiatrist do?
First, let's define what a psychiatrist does. A psychiatrist is a specialist who has a specialized medical education and works with patients who have severe mental disorders, for example:
- schizophrenia;
- alcoholism or other harmful addictions in severe forms;
- deep depression, the exit from which is impossible without the help of medication;
- epileptic seizures;
- various phobias in severe forms;
- chronic social maladjustment and much more.
A psychiatrist has the right to make diagnoses, for which, accordingly, he bears full responsibility, and can also prescribe potent drugs. As a rule, people come to him when the help of psychologists or psychotherapists is no longer effective, and they cannot do without the use of medications.
The psychiatrist is not obliged to conduct preventive conversations; his task is different - to relieve the crisis state by prescribing medications. They tend to be highly addictive and have an impressive list of side effects. Accordingly, treatment with such drugs should only be carried out under the constant supervision of a doctor, who selects the drug and its dosage, taking into account contraindications, as well as the individual characteristics of the patient.
In addition, psychiatrists also examine citizens who need to obtain various certificates, for example:
- to obtain or renew a driver's license;
- to obtain a license for traumatic and smooth-bore weapons.
Also, employees of most enterprises regularly undergo professional medical examinations, which, as a rule, are attended by a psychiatrist. However, in such situations, the reception is usually limited to a short conversation, during which the specialist monitors the adequacy of the visitor’s reactions. Accordingly, you should not demonstrate your sense of humor - the doctor may well doubt your mental health and order additional examinations.
What does a psychotherapist do?
This employee works with violations of not only will and attention, but also mental functions such as emotions and thinking .
Most often, all this activity is combined into one name “minor psychiatry” (psychiatry of borderline states). What does it mean?
In simple terms, this includes disorders such as obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, and pathological fears.
A striking example is obsessive-compulsive disorder (we have already written about this). For example, constant hand washing.
Here you can see both obsessive thoughts (“I might get infected with an incurable disease, I need to urgently wash my hands with soap”) and obsessive actions (“I washed my hands once, but what if they weren’t clean enough”). Then there is a temporary calm. But the condition remains in the person and continues to poison his life.
What does a psychotherapist treat?
As a rule, these are neuroses. For clarity, let's combine them into groups:
- anxious-phobic (fears of closed spaces, society, flying, obsessive thoughts),
- obsessive-compulsive (obsessive states),
- asthenic (high fatigue),
- hysterical (attracting attention to oneself through incoordination, convulsions and other manifestations in the body),
- depressive (chronically low mood, sleep problems),
- somatoform (when there are complaints of pain in the organs, but they are not confirmed by medical examinations).
A psychotherapist is really a doctor. He makes diagnoses and helps with diseases that can be cured without resorting to pharmacology (pills).
All these disorders, for the most part, are also characteristic of relatively healthy people. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder (example with hand washing) can affect anyone.
In such cases, a person is always aware of his violation and strives to get rid of it. In more severe cases, criticism of one’s condition is not expressed; the person does not understand his violations.
What does a psychotherapist do?
Work with the client (here not yet with the patient) proceeds in the form of a dialogue.
- the specialist listens to the caller,
- clarifies its purpose
- identifies the reasons
- assesses mental state and readiness to work,
- outlines a precise plan,
- and helps in its implementation.
Difference between psychotherapist and psychiatrist
A psychotherapist deals with mild to moderate illnesses (neurosis, psychosis, anxiety, apathy, etc.) and treats people through conversation, words, establishing a trusting relationship with the patient. A psychiatrist deals with severe mental illnesses (schizophrenia, personality disorders, syndromes, bulimia, anorexia, etc.) and treats patients with medications.
A psychotherapist is a specialist with higher medical education (psychiatry and psychotherapy), whose primary treatment method is various types of non-drug therapy (for example, conversation, analysis, art therapy, music therapy and even hypnosis). Despite this, a psychotherapist, like any other doctor, has the right to prescribe medications.
A psychiatrist is a specialist with a higher medical education (psychiatry), whose primary treatment method is drug therapy . There are child and adolescent psychiatrists, addiction psychiatrists, forensic psychiatrists, military psychiatrists, and gerontological psychiatrists.
Now let's take a closer look at the differences between these professions. They can be divided into three main groups:
- professional competencies;
- treatment methods;
- frequency and number of appointments.
The main tool of a psychotherapist is words, a psychiatrist is medications.
What does a psychiatrist do?
perception is also added to the list of mental functions (along with thinking, emotions, will and attention) .
It is responsible for the appearance of hallucinations and delusions. A person begins to perceive the surrounding reality differently.
These are types of disorders such as:
- schizophrenia (a disease that manifests itself in distorted thinking with the appearance of hallucinations),
- bipolar disorder (alternating depression and euphoria),
- endogenous depression (frequent thoughts of suicide).
With psychoses, unlike neuroses, people do not understand that this condition interferes with their lives.
These are diseases that arise as a result of disruptions in the functioning of brain systems. That is, first the brain’s functioning is disrupted. What is reflected in behavior. There is no point in looking for reasons in the psyche here.
The causes of these diseases are constantly being researched. One of these reasons is heredity. For example, schizophrenia often appears in children of parents who already suffered from this illness.
These disorders are what a psychiatrist does.
Results: what is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist and a psychologist?
Let's compare one by one how they differ from each other.
Firstly, what is the difference between a psychologist and a psychotherapist?
These specialists have different educational backgrounds. In the first case - social and pedagogical education, in the second - medical.
1 — A psychologist works with healthy people, helping them cope with specific situations, make choices, establish relationships with themselves and loved ones, and increase self-esteem. For this purpose, he conducts consultations, trainings, and testing.
2 — A psychotherapist works with borderline states that are recognized by a person, but are a violation. As a rule, these are neuroses (obsessive-compulsive disorders, phobias, psychosomatics).
He uses individual or group psychotherapy sessions. Therapy can have such varieties as hypnosis, gestalt, art therapy.
Secondly, what is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist?
1 — We have already mentioned the psychotherapist.
2 — A psychiatrist treats diseases associated with impaired brain function. He is treated with medication. However, he does not use psychotherapy.
Usually this doctor does not find out what caused the nervous breakdown and psychosis. It is important for him to correctly detect the disease and cope with its symptoms with medication.
At the same time, treatment can be very effective, and it is precisely this that allows one to cope with the patient’s disorders 100%.
Some doctors may also collaborate with a psychotherapist if they consider it necessary.
Psychiatrists themselves can also turn to psychotherapists, because working with mentally ill people is difficult and requires internal study.
So, the difference: a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist : the first works with healthy people with the help of psychotherapy, the second works with patients (who have a problem with their brain function); psychologist and psychotherapist - one helps with improving a person’s adaptation to the outside world, the other with borderline conditions that are expressed in neuroses.
We hope we have answered this question thoroughly. This is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist and a psychologist.
Many people still have certain stereotypes associated with these professions.
But there is nothing shameful about mental and brain disorders. They, just like other violations, can be corrected and improved.
At the same time, even turning to a psychiatrist, this does not threaten dispensary registration. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of him!
When to see a psychotherapist
You should contact a psychotherapist if you notice in yourself or your loved ones:
- sudden mood swings;
- tearfulness, tendency to hysterics;
- fixation on traumatic experiences, which negatively affects the quality of life;
- anxiety, tendency to worry;
- bad habits and addictions that need to be eliminated;
- obsessions, fears;
- loss of control over emotions and actions;
- hatred of one's body or personality;
- the tendency to cause pain to oneself or others.
Since the difference between a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist lies mainly in different approaches to treatment, it is quite difficult to independently determine which specialist to contact. If you suspect a mental disorder, it is best to first consult a psychiatrist. If necessary, the psychiatrist after the examination can refer the patient to a psychotherapist. A psychologist who suspects a person has mental disorders can also recommend consultation with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.
Should a healthy person take antidepressants, or is it better to seek help?
Antidepressants are a fairly common route that many people choose. Some people find it difficult to work with their psyche on their own, while others don’t want to go to a psychologist. Why, if there is a faster solution. Still others don’t know that they can work on themselves; they were told to take pills—and they do.
These medications are not cheap, as is, of course, the help of a specialist. The only difference is that with a specialist you will work out the foundation, then there will be no more reason. And antidepressants will only work when you take them. That is, to feel good, you need to take them constantly.
Not everyone currently understands the full benefits of specialists working with the psyche. But this work can change your whole life for the better. You will be able to change your own attitude towards problems, stress less, get rid of complexes and fears. Improve your relationship with your other half.
All this will affect your success at work.
Therefore, no matter what problem you face, the right solution is to work on yourself! And the easiest way to do this is with a competent specialist!
Now you know the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist and a psychologist. Be healthy!
Discussion: 2 comments
- Julia:
August 21, 2020 at 08:43 pmI've been looking for something like this for a long time, thanks, very interesting!
Answer
- Svetlana:
July 20, 2020 at 01:01 pm
Finally, everything is clear, thank you very much):
Answer
