Mental health struggles can affect people of all lifestyles, and you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help if your mental health challenges are ongoing and difficult to manage. You can choose to seek help from several types of mental health professionals, but a psychiatrist can be a particularly good choice if you believe that your mental health status needs an in-depth analysis and possibly requires medication to treat. Your psychiatrist can work closely with you to give you the individualized attention that may help you move past your mental health challenges better.

Mental Disorder Diagnosis

Psychiatrists have the knowledge to diagnose a wide range of specific mental disorders through testing that often involves reviewing a person's specific thoughts, behaviors, and other related symptoms. By making a proper diagnosis, the psychiatrist can then implement a treatment plan that's designed to address the particular condition so that greater progress can be made toward an acceptable outcome. Psychiatrists are trained to diagnose conditions like:

• Chronic depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Addictive disorders
• Borderline personality disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Talk Therapy

Like most other mental health professionals, a psychiatrist can try talk therapy as part of a treatment plan if they believe that a more conservative approach to therapy will be in your best interest. Generalized feelings of anxiety, depression, or other mental health struggles may be alleviated if you're able to convey your thoughts to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist will also try to help you make better sense of your adverse feelings and get to the main cause. Cognitive-behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and integrative therapy are among the therapeutic techniques that the psychiatrist may include in your talk therapy plan.

Prescribe Medication

Unlike psychologists and some other mental health professionals, psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications if they believe that a particular mental disorder will respond well to this type of treatment. Many of the leading psychiatric medications are formulated to affect certain chemicals in the brain that may be out of balance and contributing to the abnormal thoughts and emotions that are associated with the mental condition. Psychiatrists often prescribe medications that are classified as:

• Anti-anxiety medicines
• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotics
• Mood stabilizers
• Psychostimulants
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

If you want to stop your mental health challenges from controlling your life, seeing a psychiatrist can help improve your outlook. The different psychiatrist services that are available can be tailored to best suit your needs so that you'll receive personalized care that meets your standards. Reach out to a psychiatrist in your area.