You may remember the drunk psychiatrist played by Tina Fey on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. While this is a poor example of a medical professional, she is considered a The difference between psychiatrist vs therapist is that a psychiatrist is an M.D. This person can prescribe psychiatric medication to help you feel better (hopefully). I definitely wouldn’t want to take prescribed medication from an intoxicated psychiatrist.
Tina Fey as the drunk psychiatrist
A therapist sits down with you in an office and works with you on behavioral issues or traumatic events. A psychiatrist is there to monitor your medications and make sure they are doing their job to make your feel better. A good psychiatrist has been trained in medical school about all the different psychiatric drugs, which are medications that treat a variety of mental illnesses. The categories of psychiatric medication are antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics, and anti-anxiety meds.
Going to a psychiatrist is going to a doctor for your brain. I once made a joke to my own psychiatrist that when I take my medication in the morning it’s like taking mental vitamins. He said “it’s more like mental aspirin.” Well, whatever works, I thought to myself. Medication isn’t for everyone, but it can be helpful to people who live with a variety of mental health issues. I’ve personally found medication has helped me in my own life.
Medication dating
The tricky thing about psychiatric medication in particular is that it’s hard to figure out which one works for you. You may need to try a bunch of them before you find a good fit. It’s kind of like dating people, except you’re dating your meds. Your brain goes out on dates with a medication to see if you guys click. Unfortunately, unlike dating where you can get to know someone within a few dates, psychiatric medications require a longer period of courting to figure out if there is a brain love connection. Some medications (like antidepressants for example) can take up to six weeks to show their personalities. Mean while, you’re tapping your foot impatiently waiting to see if this medication is going to stay in your life for the long haul.
My psychiatrist says that he would rather have patients on medication for a short-term period of time if possible. If there is way to use medication to help people get through a rough period that is ideal. But, there are some conditions that warrant the use of life-long medication. For example, people living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder generally require medication throughout their lives.
The danger (as I see it) is telling someone that they should stop taking their medication. That’s like telling someone to stop taking insulin when they’ve been taking it for a diabetes. You don’t live inside my brain and I don’t live inside yours. Also, you’re not my doctor and if I think I’m at the point where I can go off of meds I will speak to that person about that.
What about you? Are you dating a new medication? How’s it going? Is it a long term relationship or just a fling?