Title: Family Doctor or Psychiatrist? | Brain Blogger
Headings: Family Doctor or Psychiatrist?
Family Doctor or Psychiatrist?
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Content: If the family doctor chooses not to make a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist, he or she will probably will treat it with an SSRI like Prozac. But the true diagnosis may turn out to be something different than depression. Not recognizing mania combined with depression, for example, is a risk because this is how many bipolar disorders are missed. Even of the depression cases that are correctly diagnosed by the family doctor, 80% are given too little medication for too short a time. ( 2) Starting with the family doctor might still be a good idea for anyone suspecting mental illness, however, because the doctor can rule out possible physical causes for mental symptoms. Some tests that are commonly done are EEG, MRI, or PET scans to rule out seizure disorders, and some lab tests to determine pituitary and thyroid function. In mainstream mental health, medication is an important ingredient in treatment of mental illness. Although the family doctor can prescribe medications, a psychiatrist is more familiar with the wide range of psychiatric medications, how to use them in combination, and how to manage their side effects. ( 3)
A majority of people diagnosed with a mental illness by their family doctor are not referred to psychiatrists. The doctor probably chats with them for a few minutes, writes a prescription, and sends the individual home.