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> You probably should not get psychiatric drugs from a GP or NP without first being assessed by a psychologist. While GPs have meds training, they aren’t train
by chimeracoder 9y ago
> You probably should not get psychiatric drugs from a GP or NP without first being assessed by a psychologist. While GPs have meds training, they aren’t trained in how medication fits into a larger psychological treatment plan to actually address the underlying issue.
I'm not telling anyone to do anything, but the idea of going to a psychologist for prescription drugs is beyond ridiculous.
> This is equivalent to demanding OxyContin from your GP for a recurring knee problem
It's worse - it's like demanding Oxycontin from your personal trainer at the gym. At least your GP went to medical school and did residency training.
- didgeoridoo 9y agoI think you missed my point. I’m not saying psychologists should prescribe meds. I’m saying that medicating psychological problems should not be done in the absence of an appropriate diagnosis of those problems. This can be done only by a psychiatrist or psychologist (edit: and most psychiatrists aren’t trained in testing either, and will generally refer you to a testing psychologist if they think your problems are complex in nature). GPs and NPs do not have appropriate training in diagnosis.
- yequalsx 9y agoMy wife is a psychiatrist. She doesn't prescribe drugs to people with psychological problems. She prescribes drugs to people with psychiatric problems. She's been trained to know the difference. The PA that works under her has been similarly trained. But he doesn't understand the non-psychiatric medicine part that patients often times have.
- didgeoridoo 9y agoThat’s a good way of putting it — “psychiatric” vs. “psychological”, being able to know the difference, and treat appropriately.
- JamesBarney 9y agoWhat is the difference between a psychological and psychiatric problem? I've never seen these terms used in the same context you used them anywhere in medicine.
- yequalsx 9y agoHallucinations are generally a pyschiatric problem. Being manic/depressive is a pyschiatric problem. Being a jerk isn't. Having a hard time saying saying no isn't. There are gray areas. As a rough approximation, where drugs can help it's psychiatric, where they can't it's psychological.
- JamesBarney 9y agoIf they develop a drug that keeps you from being a jerk does it become a psychiatric problem?
- yequalsx 9y agoIf it the jerk state is the result of a chemical/biological problem in the brain then yes.
- JamesBarney 9y ago5-HT1A stimulation results in decreased aggression, increased sociability, and decreased impulsivity. Sounds like a lack of 5-ht1a activity might make you a jerk, and it's stimulation might cure it.
- yequalsx 9y agoI’m not a psychiatrist, my wife is. I don’t know hat 5-HT1A is or what your point is. The brain is an organ. It’s the only organ that can be harmed by non-physical means. My understanding is that behavior problems resulting from lack of certain “chemicals” or over abundance of them are psychiatric problems. Problems that don’t arise from such brain defects aren’t. When other organs are defective and don’t produce the right stuff to function properly people take drugs in order to function properly. The brain is no different except there are times the damage is not medical. There are gray areas.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]