Whenever someone is going through a difficult time or suffering from a mental disorder, we recommend professional help but one often gets confused between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. Although they both are scholars of psychology and thrive on helping others, the difference lies in their educational qualifications. A Psychiatrist has a medical degree like any other doctor, must be a licensed physician, and can prescribe medications like antidepressants to the patient; whereas a psychologist is well versed in cognitive behaviors of people and therapy treatment. Both professionals diagnose and treat patients but their methods and workings are different – a psychiatrist will work on the medication while the psychologists use psychotherapy (also known as “talk therapy”).
This poses a dilemma to the patient as to where to go while looking for professional help. It is mostly advised that if you have a complex disorder that requires medication, like schizophrenia/severe depression/bipolar disorder, psychiatrists are the ones to go to. Psychologists can help if you’re going through a difficult time or help you understand your thoughts better. Most often common health conditions like anxiety and depression are treated with a combination of medication and therapy. Many clinical psychologists work in consultation with psychiatrists because a licensed doctor is necessary in case of recommending medication.
It can be somewhat tricky while choosing who to consult, but the checking of qualification of both a psychiatrist and a psychologist is a must in any case. An unlicensed professional may make your condition worse, therefore whoever you choose to consult, always check their qualifications.
Both professionals thrive to help the people in need, so if one ever faces confusion, we can always consult a doctor and he/she can guide us as to how we can proceed with this situation. Be it a psychiatrist or a psychologist, both people play an extremely important role in helping people overcome difficult times in their lives.