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healthymindclinic

Frequently Asked Questions

Many people who phone us are often not sure whom to see -psychologists or psychiatrists. While both are mental health professionals, there are below differences in their roles.

Psychiatrists

  • Doctors by profession (MBBS)
  • Post MBBS, specialise in Psychiatry to gain MD, DPM or DNB. If in UK, MRCPsych degree and some do super specialist CCT.
  • Psychiatry deals with mental illness symptoms that responds to medication along with some talking treatment or counseling.
  • Sleep and appetite disturbance, severe mood disturbance, suicidality, hearing non-existent voices, forgetfulness, tiredness, poor concentration are some examples of symptoms
  • Above symptoms require combination of medication and counseling
  • They can prescribe medication
  • Usually do overall assessment and refer to psychologists in suitable people; able to take an overall view of treatment combining physical and mental health and social factors and can do some talking therapies in general

Psychologists

  • BA in Psychology, usually
  • Following BA or such like, they specialise in Psychology at MA or MSc level and some go on to do MPhil or Phd.
  • Psychology deals with psychological or emotional disturbance requiring only counselling or therapy or talking treatment.
  • Mood swings, feeling hopeless, lacking confidence, getting stressed, anxious, feeling abandoned, negative thoughts, feeling lonely are examples of some symptoms.
  • Above symptoms require combination of medication and counseling.
  • They cannot prescribe medication
  • Psychologists are experts in all sorts of talking therapies including counseling, psychotherapy, Motivational therapy, problem solving etc

Depends on the nature, severity, duration of symptoms, psychological mindedness, state of physical health, risks involved and many other factors.
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Some symptoms respond better to tablets, others are more amenable for counseling while some others require a combined approach.
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Hence, depending on the issue at hand, you may need to see psychiatrist or psychologist or both. Dr. Priya Raghavan will make an assessment of your complaints and guide you appropriately.

Counseling is done for various symptoms and conditions like:
Depression, anger,stress, anxiety, negative thoughts, worrying too, relationship and marital issues, lack of emotional control,impulsivity, misinterpretation, misunderstanding etc.

Types of counseling or talking treatments:
In the short term, below examples of treatments are effective and evidence based:

– CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy particularly for anxiety,mood disorders, OCD etc
– Mindfulness, problem solving, coping with stress.
– Marital counselling for couples and family therapy.
– Motivational assessment and enhancement therapy for addictions.

Longer term psychotherapies are necessary for some patients. These include:
– IPT or interpersonal psychotherapy for long term low moods
– DBT or Dialectical Behaviour therapy for relationship issues, deliberate self-harm, impulsivity, mood swings and lack of emotional control.

Dr Priya Raghavan or any of our psychologists whom you are assigned to will be able to go over the right therapy with you.

Most psychiatric patients can be managed in the out-patient setting. With proper treatment plan and regular reviews, admission to hospitals can be greatly minimized.

Minority of patients may benefit from being admitted to hospitals. These are patients with:

– Unrelenting or severe symptoms.
– Risk of suicide, violence, absconding, self-neglect due to their illness
– Families struggling to cope with illness behaviour, carer burden in family
– Psychiatric emergencies and patients in crisis
– Combined physical and mental illness requiring close supervision
– Those needing too many medication changes rapidly
– Those requiring ECT or Electro convulsive Therapy or shock treatment
– Patients requiring lengthier assessment, intense multi-disciplinary team of professionals like psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, nurses,social workers family therapists etc
– Situations where rehabilitation is necessary

Dr Priya Raghavan will guide families and patients regarding any need for the above and ensure prompt treatment. She will also sign post you where the above facilities are available.

Yes, we do home visits where necessary-very elderly or those with mobility issues or those with severe symptoms that does not allow them out of the house.

Yes. Please book your appointment with us on the phone or the online diary; we will tell you how to go about it.

Please bring list of any current and previous medication.

Please bring any recent blood and other reports if it is your first time to the clinic or if the doctor has advised for these.

Elderly people -please bring your glasses if you wear them as we may do a memory test if necessary.

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