Psychologists and Psychiatrists – There Is A Difference
Author: Aazdak Alisimo
Mental health is a field that has a lot of murkiness associated with it. Is it real science or just a bunch of mumbo jumbo? Heck, there is a lot of confusion about the difference between psychologists and psychiatrists.
When it comes to mental issues, many people use the terms psychiatry and psychology interchangeably. After all, they basically mean the same thing, right? The same must go for psychiatrists and psychologists as well, right?
The dividing line may seem a bit arbitrary at first. It has to do with their professional designation. A psychiatrist is considered a licensed medical doctor. A psychologist, on the other hand, is not. A psychiatrist receives a medical degree while a psychologist receives a scientific degree, such as a Ph.D. This ultimately means both are called doctors, even if their designations are different. Confused yet?
Another way of looking at the issues is to consider the fields they are in. While both treat mental problems ranging from depression to schizophrenia, they do it differently. Psychiatrists view the issue as a medical problem and may treat the patient view prescriptions designed to alter the chemical composition in the brain.
A psychologist will look at the problem from a scientific perspective. They may proscribe a course of mental exercises or look for underlying social reasons for the issues. A psychologist cannot prescribe medication, so they may ultimately send the patient to a psychiatrist for a medical examination and prescription option.
The important thing to realize is there is a verifiable reason for both of these specialties to exist in the modern medical world. Psychologists are often derided because they don’t prescribe medication, but there is something to be said negatively about our “magic pill” society.
It seems we have a magic pill for everything these days and many worry that this will ultimately lead to problems down the road. In fact, we are already seeing an increase in prescription pill abuse by teens. Given this fact, one must wonder if psychologists will be viewed more favorably from now on.
Aazdak Alisimo writes about issues surrounding psychiatric expert witness testimony in trial for PsychiatricExpertWitness.com.
