When you are dealing with some mental health issues, you want to make sure that you are doing everything possible to help make sure that you're stable and able to handle life to the best of your abilities. There are a number of different kinds of professionals that you can see in order to make sure that you are OK. You may find that a combination of providers and services is the right option for you.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has taken the time to specialize in mental health. Because they are a medical doctor, they can prescribe medication for you. You may not see them on a weekly basis but more likely on a monthly basis or longer, if your medication is stable. They will check with you and see that you are OK with your medication and if you need to adjust something.
Psychologist
A psychologist is a doctor too, but instead of holding an MD, they hold a Ph.D. That means that they can't prescribe medication for you. Generally, you will see a psychologist for therapy or counseling of some sort. They can recommend you for medical management to a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner or even to another counselor who works with people who have your particular mental health issue.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
A PNP is a nurse who has gone through extra training to become a nurse practitioner and then even more training so that they can handle mental health medications. A PNP can act as a counselor and can also prescribe medication. You may be able to get in to see a PNP before you can see a psychiatrist, so if you are dealing with a long wait time, you may want to consider seeing a psychiatric nurse practitioner. If you are in crisis, you may be able to see a PNP as well in order to help you get the help you need.
Masters of Social Work
An MSW is generally a counselor or therapist. You generally see them weekly for talk therapy so that you work through whatever is going on with your life. They can also help you with learning new coping tools so that you can handle whatever is happening. You may do this kind of treatment along with medication so that you can take a two-pronged attack.
If you are going to get help with your mental health, there are a number of professionals that you can see. Set up an appointment with a counselor like Barbara Saban, LCSW today.
Share25 February 2019
From the time I was born to the time I graduated high school, my parents were very overprotective of me and shielded me from all of the "bad" things in the world. When I decided to go to college out of state, they wanted me to stay closer to home, but gave into my wishes eventually. Once I got settled at college, I realized just how attached I was to my parents. I began to feel so homesick that I almost quit before the first semester ended. I decided to visit a counselor to see if she could help me get through the semester, and after just a couple of visits, I began actually enjoying my time away from home. I know there are others in tough situations like I was who need guidance, so I decided to start a blog to share my tips for coping with stressful situations.
