The author Eckhart Tolle once stated, “Much suffering, much unhappiness arises when you take each thought that comes into your head for the truth.” Anxiety and depression are two examples of mental health conditions that can convince you things are far scarier and more negative than they are in reality. When someone is experiencing a mental health condition, feelings can start to seem like facts. But they’re not.
Mental health conditions are caused by complex interactions between a person’s environment, neurochemistry, and genetics. There’s no one to blame for these states, especially not yourself. If you find yourself experiencing psychological or behavioral changes that are interfering with your daily functioning, you may benefit from the mental health services of a psychiatrist.
The licensed psychiatrists at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX are recruited from the top 4% of providers. This means they’re exceptionally qualified to help people who are experiencing mental health and behavioral conditions. Thriveworks psychiatrists treat more than the diagnosis. They treat the whole individual, and they do so with compassion, insight, and expertise.
Does Psychiatry Count as Primary Care?
Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with diagnosing, treating, and helping to prevent complex mental health conditions that can affect peoples’ lives. Psychiatrists are doctors of medicine who graduated from medical school with MD degrees. They excel at understanding the underlying physiological origins of mental health conditions (like bipolar disorder and anxiety) that are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Because of this understanding, psychiatrists are qualified to prescribe medications like antidepressants in the treatment of mental health conditions.
Other fully licensed mental health providers that clients may encounter at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX include the following:
- Psychologists (PhDs or PsyDs), who have doctorate degrees in psychology. Psychologists can be counseling psychologists or clinical psychologists and they do psychotherapy (talk therapy). They are not medical doctors, thus they cannot prescribe medication as psychiatrists can.
- Licensed professional counselors (LPCs), who provide solution-focused counseling, usually for people with specific issues.
- Psychotherapists, who are any providers who do psychotherapy, which is usually a longer-term and more in-depth examination of the psyche.
- Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), who provide counseling and guidance for social services.
- Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), who treat couples or family members for interpersonal issues in group therapy.
Do Psychiatrists Do CBT?
Psychiatrists are trained in medical school in a variety of psychotherapies. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective, evidence-based therapeutic treatments used by mental health providers of all kinds. Many psychiatrists practice it, or they can refer a client to a Thriveworks psychotherapist who specializes in it.
In addition to CBT, mental health providers at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX might use any of the following approaches as part of a comprehensive plan to treat mental health conditions:
- Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)
- Person-centered therapy (PCT)
- Existential therapy
- Psychotropic medication like antidepressants
- Gestalt therapy
- Exposure therapy, especially for specific phobias
- Systematic desensitization therapy
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness therapy
- Holistic therapy like meditation training or progressive muscle relaxation
- Supportive-expressive therapy
- Anger management
- Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)
- Narrative therapy
- Lifestyle modifications that address nutrition and exercise
- Psychosocial interventions like support groups
- Motivation enhancement therapy (MET)
- Biofeedback
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Family therapy
- Couples therapy or marriage counseling
How Do Psychiatrists Diagnose Mental Health Conditions?
Psychiatrists at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX diagnose mental health conditions using a variety of assessments, including the following:
- A patient physical
- Medical history
- Psychological tests
- Discussion of symptoms, both cognitive and behavioral
- Psychoeducation on mental health conditions
- Discussion of lifestyle habits
- A psychosocial evaluation
- A family medical history
What Are Mental Health Symptoms You Should Never Ignore?
Mental health conditions often have overlapping symptoms and indications. For example, both depression and anxiety might manifest in social isolation, substance abuse, or trouble sleeping. It requires a qualified psychiatrist like the providers at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX to take the full measure of symptoms and make an accurate diagnosis. Some symptoms that might indicate a mental health disorder that could benefit from professional treatment include the following:
- “Baby blues” enduring more than two weeks after childbirth, which may indicate postpartum depression
- Racing heart, sweating, and hyperventilation accompanying extreme worries, which might indicate panic attacks, panic disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder
- Difficulty concentrating, which might indicate attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Eating issues, which might indicate anorexia or bulimia
- Extreme lethargy and overwhelming sadness, which might indicate depression
Get Premium Mental Health Care with Thriveworks Psychiatry in Little Elm, TX
If you are concerned about your psychological or behavioral symptoms that are interfering with your life, call Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX to make an appointment with a licensed psychiatrist. Thriveworks providers can meet with clients through online counseling sessions, and they accept most major forms of health insurance coverage. Call today and get the help you need as early as tomorrow.
