Introduction:
I get a lot of comments that go something like this “All psychiatrists do is prescribe medications.” Naturally, people are shocked when I talk about nutritional psychiatry, lifestyle modification, or the value of psychotherapy. I cover a lot of medication information on social media because there is significant confusion, misinformation, and a general benefit for patients to know more about the medications they routinely use.
While medication management is a substantial portion of the work most psychiatrists do it’s not the only things we do.
Psychotherapy:
Most psychiatrists are well trained in at least one type of psychotherapy. The most common ones include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and motivational interviewing. Some are trained extensively in psychoanalysis which usually requires a 5-year commitment and engagement in psychoanalysis as a patient.
Procedures:
Many psychiatrists offer procedure-based interventions such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and trans cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We may also consult on cases of vagus nerve stimulation or deep brain stimulation used to treat severe depression.
Neurological Disorders:
As a psychiatrist you are trained to handle some of the common neurological disorders (e.g. migraine). One third of our board examination is focused on neurological disease. In rural parts of the United States sometimes there is no one else to treat these disorders and the responsibility falls to psychiatry.
Medical Disorders:
Most psychiatrists can treat things like hypertension or hypothyroidism. Many make the choice not to if the patient has a primary care physician. Like the treatment of neurological disorders sometimes there is no choice, and a psychiatrist will need to treat the medical condition.
Social Work:
Not everyone is lucky enough to have designated social workers so they can focus exclusively on the treatment of patients. We all know how important social determinates of mental health are, and sometimes altering these circumstances is the responsibility of the psychiatrist.