Exclusive: Interview with a Psychiatrist

I was lucky enough to be able to speak with a local psychiatrist to discuss some of the foundational aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. It’s safe to say that there are plenty of myths and misconceptions surrounding mental health, especially the treatment of mental illness. Below is the first installment of the interview.

1. How many years of schooling did it take for you to become a psychiatrist?

Bachelor’s 4 years, Med School 3 years, Psychiatry residency 5 years; total 12 years – I took an extra year.

2. Can you summarize the role of the psychiatrist in diagnosing and treating mental illness?

The role of the psychiatrist is to diagnose conditions (i.e. is someone experiencing an expected reaction to a stressful event, or has their reaction become pathological, and if so, what condition are they suffering from?)  Diagnosis is important because it informs the treatment plan, i.e. what form of psychotherapy is going to be helpful, or, what medication may be helpful.  Also, knowing the diagnosis helps us to predict outcomes.  For instance, is it going to recur in the future, and if so, how can we prevent that from happening?

3. What about psychiatric illness is most interesting to you?

It’s fascinating work from multiple perspectives.  Neurobiological insights are gleaned daily.  Patterns emerge despite the complex interplay between one’s developmental, social, genetic and emotional influences.  It’s immensely challenging to tease out these influences.  Following that, the challenge is to formulate and propose a plan which the patient finds acceptable.  

     I’m also passionate about early identification and treatment of mental illness.  In all areas of medicine the concept of early intervention is not new.  It’s common sense.  I think that because there is such stigma attached to mental illness, we are reluctant to diagnose it at a young age, however, the majority of mental illness have their genesis in early adolescence and perhaps if we were better at identifying them, we could ameliorate or even avert these illnesses altogether.  

4. What are the basic steps someone who could be suffering from mental illness should take when seeking treatment?

Tell someone who cares about you. 

Do YOU have any questions about clinical psychiatry, mental illness, resources, etc? Leave a comment below, and stay tuned!

Note: The physician has requested to remain anonymous to preserve confidentiality.