What is psychiatry?

Psychiatry is an area of medicine dedicated to caring for mental, behavioral and emotional disorders through diagnosis, treatment and prevention. With patient report, the psychiatrist doctor evaluates the mental health of individuals and analyzes the interaction of emotional and physical aspects, making the appropriate interventions.

There are several reasons a person may seek a psychiatrist is in a position to give you an adequate evaluation to help you determine if there's anything that you specifically require help with in regards to your mental wellness.

It is important to understand that psychiatry is not something "crazy people", but rather, a serious branch of medicine, with scientific methods and interventions to treat mental problems. Therefore, if you realize you need the help of a specialist in the area, be sure to look for it. See this article the main information about psychiatry and learn more!

More about psychiatry

Psychiatry is a medical area destined to the care of the mind. Therefore, the term psychiatry means, in Greek, "art of healing the soul". In Brazil, the specialty has been operating for years and currently presents several subspecialties. See more about the area in the topics below.

What does psychiatry study?

In the different specialties of medicine, psychiatry is responsible for diagnosing, treating and preventing mental illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, dementia, bipolar disorder and personality disorder, among many others.

Through anamnesis, patient's report and psychic and physical tests, the psychiatrist evaluates the symptoms and identifies the present disorder. Then, the doctor directs the treatment that can be either drug or psychotherapic.

Currently, the Brazilian Psychiatry Association divides the subspecialties of the field into: pedopsychiatry (treatment of children and adolescents), gerontopsychiatry (treatment of the elderly), forensic psychiatry (treatment of criminals) and psychotherapy (use of psychotherapies).

History of psychiatry in the world

The history of psychiatry in the world dates back to the beginning of human history. Since the oldest centuries, the presence of mental diseases was already something that worried painters, historians, philosophers, sculptors, poets and physicians.

However, it was with the studies of French physician Philippe Pinel that the treatment of patients with mental disorders became more humanized. Horrified by the atrocities that were done in dealing with the mentally ill, Pinel promoted humanitarian reforms in mental health in the eighteenth century.

With the researches of the German physician Emil Kraepelin, the disorders began to gain names, such as psychoses, for example. Since then, psychiatry has been advancing as a science, being recognized as an area of medicine.

History of psychiatry in Brazil

In Brazil, psychiatry emerged with the installation of insane asylums as of 1852. The insane asylums, also called hospices, were closed places, usually far from large cities, which isolated people with mental disorders, using inhumane treatments with the patients.

Years later, hospices started to be called hospitals, but still with the manicomial logic, which excluded the mentally ill from the society, restricting the psychiatrist's activity to medicate and keep the patients in isolation.

In 1960, the Italian psychiatrist Franco Basaglia began to question the existence of psychiatric hospitals and the treatment given to patients. In 1990, the psychiatric reform ended the psychiatric hospital system, promoting the social reintegration of people with mental disorders and humanising psychiatry in the field of mental health.

When to see a psychiatrist?

The psychiatrist is the doctor responsible for taking care of mental health. But as many factors can affect the health of the mind, it is not always possible to identify the right time to seek a professional psychiatrist. Therefore, we have separated below the main signs that indicate the time to seek specialized help. See!

Recurrent mood swings

It is important to understand the normality of moods. Being sad about the breakup of a relationship or angry about a low grade in a course is absolutely normal. However, if reactions to life's frustrations are disproportionate, it is time to seek help from a psychiatric professional.

Both positive and negative emotions are part of human life and it is essential to feel them. But the disproportionality of the symptoms generates many damages in the person's daily life and may indicate the presence of a mood disorder. In order for the situation not to worsen, seek a psychiatric evaluation and see what is happening.

Addictions

Addiction is also considered a mental disorder according to the World Health Organization. For this reason, psychiatry has the necessary training to treat various types of addictions, such as those related to alcohol, smoking, drugs, among others.

Besides damaging the physical, emotional and mental health of human beings, the abuse of certain substances affects their performance in society. Depending on the severity, brain connections are interrupted, generating negative consequences for the body. Therefore, if you notice that you are losing control over a substance, seek help.

Sleep disorders

The difficulty sleeping can arise for anyone, especially when worries surround the thoughts. But if you have frequent bouts of insomnia and they harm your performance on a daily basis, it's time to seek help from a psychiatric professional.

The psychiatrist's evaluations will identify if the cause of your difficulty to sleep is in certain daily worries or if it lies in mental disturbances. This is because some mental disorders, such as panic syndrome and anxiety variations, are related to sleep alterations. In most clinical pictures, insomnia is an indication of a mental disorder.

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficit and hyperactivity are disorders usually diagnosed in childhood, but some people discover the clinical condition as early as adulthood. Because it hinders concentration and quietness, individuals with this disorder are often seen as undisciplined or irresponsible.

If you realize that you've always had this difficulty concentrating and staying still for some time and you've harmed yourself with this, seek help from psychiatry. With the correct evaluation you will understand what is going on with your mind and you will accept yourself as a person. The sooner you identify the problem, the faster it can be treated.

What are psychiatric treatments like?

The main treatments psychiatry uses are medication and psychotherapy. In some cases, psychiatrists use a combination of both treatments. See in the next topics how these interventions work.

Medicines

Medications are used to treat certain mental disorders in the same way a medicine is used to control hypertension, for example. After completing evaluations, the psychiatrist can prescribe the proper medications for the patient.

The assessments are mainly based on psychiatric diagnostic manuals, such as ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) and DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

It is important to emphasize that psychiatry uses medication to control the symptoms. In certain cases, the patient can achieve results with medication alone. In others, psychotherapeutic treatment is necessary.

Psychotherapeutic

Psychotherapeutic treatment consists of psychotherapy, a method based on dialogue between therapist and patient. The goal of treatment is to eliminate, control or alleviate the symptoms, issues and complaints brought by the subjects.

It is common for psychiatry to indicate therapies for patients, because in many cases, the cause of the disorder comes from a lack of control over one's own conflicts. Thus, in the relationship between therapist and patient, the individual discovers ways of dealing with his issues and, soon, his symptoms are eliminated.

Currently, there are several types of psychotherapies, such as those that work on behavior, aiming to change negative thoughts, like cognitive behavioral therapy. Other types, like psychoanalysis, for example, work on self-knowledge, analyzing past situations that interfere with present conflicts.

Combination of both

Based on medical science, psychiatry can make use of both drug treatment and psychotherapy in the care of some patients. When combined, drugs control symptoms that are sometimes very strong, and psychotherapy acts on the cause of the problems, helping the patient deal with their internal conflicts.

The anxiety disorder, for example, is a disorder that usually requires the use of medication and the intervention of therapy, due to the severity of the symptoms. The medication will control heart acceleration, insomnia, shortness of breath, among other symptoms, while therapy will seek to understand the reasons that lead the individual to present the condition.

What's the first appointment like?

Psychiatry is a medical specialty, so the first consultation is similar to any other area of medicine. As soon as the patient enters the consulting room, he goes through the anamnesis, where the psychiatrist evaluates several aspects of the patient's life. Then, there are other steps. Learn more in the topics below.

How to prepare for your first appointment?

There is no reason to despair in the first consultation with a psychiatrist. Remember that he is just another professional to help you like any other. Therefore, just like other medical specialties, it is important that you report all the symptoms you have been feeling and medications you have been using for a good diagnostic evaluation.

Also, be sure to bring recent medical records if you have any. If you need to, make a list with all the information about your current condition so that nothing can be missed. Also, take advantage of the first appointment to ask all your questions about the diagnosis and treatment, always trying to talk to your doctor.

Physical examination may be done

The first psychiatric consultation usually takes a little longer, because the evaluation needs to be very in-depth. Besides the anamnesis that is done in all medical consultations, the patient is submitted to physical exams based on the symptoms that are reported. The cardiovascular system is the main one to be evaluated.

It is essential to perform all physical exams to rule out the possibility of other medical conditions or transfer to other specialties. There are certain diseases that can be better evaluated with a neurologist, such as Alzheimer's disease, brain injuries, epilepsy, among others. This is why it is so important to perform the physical exam.

Laboratory Examination

A difficulty to sleep, for example, can be a deficiency of some components in the blood, feces or urine. For this reason, the psychiatrist needs to evaluate not only the patient's mental faculties, but also the body functions.

Therefore, it is common in the first psychiatric consultation, the doctor asks for blood, stool and urine tests. If you have already had a recent and complete examination, he may use the results of your examination. Therefore, it is good to bring to your consultation all the tests you have done. But don't resist if the psychiatrist asks for new ones.

Psychiatric tests

Unlike other exams, psychiatric tests are done throughout the psychiatric consultation. From the first moment the patient arrives in the consulting room, the doctor evaluates behavior, attention, speech, mood, among other factors. All data collected through professional observation will complement the other exams.

The psychic test is fundamental, as some disorders only manifest themselves through a deep, calm and patient observation of the behavior. Through techniques, interventions and specific methodologies the psychiatrist makes the diagnosis, with the information obtained, and directs the patient as to the treatment.

Psychiatry and other specialties

Some people tend to confuse psychiatry with other specialties or simply think that it's all one thing. To avoid any doubts and for you to know who to turn to when you need, see below the distinction of psychiatry in relation to neurology and psychology.

Difference between psychiatry and neurology

Like psychiatry, neurology is a specialty of medicine whose branch is dedicated to diagnosing and treating diseases that interfere with the central nervous system. In addition, the specialty also evaluates neuromuscular functions, blood vessels and coatings that can be affected by certain diseases.

While psychiatrists focus on mental disorders, neurologists analyze the effects of a disease on the central nervous system. Neurologists, through various examinations, treat different levels of severity of a disease, such as a sleep disorder, for example, up to cases of stroke.

Difference between psychiatry and psychology

Psychiatry is a medical specialty in which an individual needs to attend medical school to practice the specialty. During graduation, the apprentice undergoes a specific training to become a psychiatrist. He undergoes internships and a dense clinical practice to treat mental illnesses with various forms of treatment.

Psychology is a profession that also requires higher education, but has a wide range of approaches to follow, with different goals and focuses. With the relationship between professional and patient, the psychologist helps the individual in the management of their conflicts.

The psychologist's main tool is clinical listening, practiced throughout his academic practices. He analyzes the patient's discourse to understand the questions that are asked and, with this, has the full capacity to treat various mental disorders.

Tips for successful psychiatric treatment

As a medical field that cares for the mental health of the population, psychiatry is a specialty that should be taken seriously and with total commitment to the doctor's interventions, whether they are medication or psychotherapy. Therefore, one of the tips to be successful during psychiatric treatment is to correctly follow all the doctor's recommendations.

It is necessary to abandon the stigmas and prejudices of the specialty, understanding that the psychiatrist is a professional willing to help. Just as the physical body gets sick, the mind also goes through debilities. Even because, body and mind are in a close relationship, in which both need care.

So, be aware of your mind's signals and if you notice any lack of control in your emotions, be sure to seek a psychiatric doctor. Your well being depends on a healthy mind and psychiatry is a great partner in this process.