Psychiatry in Sterling Heights, MI
Nancy is a typical 28-year-old woman. Typical in the sense that everything appears normal in her life. She is a proud military spouse who has moved around the world with her husband, an active-duty military officer. She and her husband are also raising their young son, Ethan.
Their recent move overseas to Germany was one stressful event after the next: the moving company lost a portion of their household goods during transit, the one car Nancy and her husband share broke down, and the only daycare option for their son has a seven-month-long waitlist, which means Nancy will have to delay starting her new job and stay home to take care of him.
If that wasn’t enough, Nancy discovered that one of her close relatives was just diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer. This devastates Nancy, as she is literally thousands of miles away from home and feels helpless about not caring for her loved one.
All these periods of high stress have thrown Nancy into a tailspin. She was never a big alcohol drinker, but she’s now turning to alcohol several times a day to help cope with her symptoms, which she describes to her husband as up and down all the time. One minute she is very high-spirited and energetic, and the next minute she feels extremely depressed.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Nancy has bipolar disorder, which is a mental disorder that affects approximately six million U.S. adults. The prevalence of the disorder in U.S. women is 2.8%.
If you think you can benefit from psychiatry in Sterling Heights, MI, please consider booking an appointment with an online psychiatrist at Thriveworks. You can schedule an appointment right now at the Thriveworks office in Sterling Heights and meet virtually with a psychiatrist, typically within 24-48 hours.
How Can A Psychiatrist Help Me?
Let’s first describe what a psychiatrist is. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and mental health professionals specially trained in mental disorders and the field of psychiatry. In addition, they can prescribe medications to help treat a host of mental disorders.
An individual must complete medical school, take a written examination for a state license, and complete residency training in psychiatry to become a psychiatrist. The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology certifies psychiatrists and then requires them to re-certify every 10 years.
You can find psychiatrists in various settings, including medical centers, universities, and emergency rooms.
A psychiatrist can help in the diagnosis and treatment of your particular symptoms. Maybe you share Nancy’s symptoms described above, or maybe you experience different symptoms. Everyone experiences different emotional and behavioral symptoms, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” for treatment. That’s why it’s important to meet with a psychiatrist and receive a proper diagnosis.
A psychiatrist and psychologist (a professional with training and experience in clinical psychology) will often work together on a treatment plan for you that might incorporate therapy, medication treatment, or a combination of both.
A Thriveworks psychiatrist in Sterling Heights will first meet with you to discuss your symptoms, your medical history, check on any current medications you may be taking, and perform psychological tests, if necessary.
What Are Some Treatment Options?
Let’s explore a couple of possible treatment options a psychiatrist may use. Remember, every client has different needs, so your treatment plan may be different. The goal of any treatment plan, however, is to get you back to a healthier you.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): this treatment option helps clients change any negative thoughts or behaviors that are overwhelming them. For example, this treatment may work well for someone who has an anxiety disorder and frequently worries about real or perceived problems. A form of talk therapy, CBT can help you view challenging thoughts or situations more clearly and respond to them more effectively.
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): in this treatment, small electric currents are passed through the brain to change its chemistry and reverse the symptoms of mental health conditions. ECT is used to treat severe depression, severe mania, catatonia (lack of movement), and dementia.
Scheduling an Appointment with a Psychiatrist in Sterling Heights, MI
Scheduling an appointment with a Thriveworks Sterling Heights psychiatrist is beneficial to address any mental health issues you may be experiencing. You might be interested in therapy, or you might be interested in exploring medication. A psychiatrist is specially trained to diagnose and treat various mental health disorders so that you can get on your way to a happy and successful life.
Our psychiatrists are also available online, which may be more convenient for you. You may have to come into the office on occasion for a check-up, but sessions on the phone or via video chat are a great way to stay in touch with your psychiatrist and measure the progress of your treatment plan.
Thriveworks in Sterling Heights, MI, offers many other benefits, including same- or next-day appointments and convenient scheduling over the phone or online.
Are you ready to start thriving again?