Psychiatrist or psychologist: which one to go to for therapy?

A simple explanation of the characteristics of the psychologist's and psychiatrist's work.

Psychiatrist or psychologist? Who do I see? What is the difference between one and the other?

I intend this to be a short and concrete article that answers, no more and no less, the question in the title. So I am only going to focus on the difference between the two professionals, which I understand is the most important and significant.

How to choose between psychologist or psychiatrist?

The cardinal difference lies in the tools that one and another professional use to approach the problem presented by the patient. to approach the problematic that the patient presents.

The psychiatrist's main tool is the psychopharmaceutical, by means of which he tries to induce changes in the brain chemistry, which in turn result in an improvement or relief of the symptoms that afflict the person.

In a complementary way, the psychologist's main tool is the personal resources available to the patient who consults him/her. This professional pursues the same objective as the psychiatrist, but appealing to the person's own strengths and abilities to achieve changes in his or her way of thinking and behaving. to achieve changes in their way of thinking and behaving.

But... which is better?

The answer is: both. As we have seen above, they are not opposing approaches, but complementaryand there is considerable evidence that mixed treatments (combining both approaches) are generally more successful for a Wide range of disorders.

The dichotomy or rivalry between psychiatrists and psychologists is a myth.. With regrettable exceptions, both want the same thing for the patient and collaborate with each other in pursuit of that goal.

While the psychiatrist goes "from the inside out" (from the brain to the behavior), the psychologist goes "from the outside in" (from the behavior to the brain). These are two sides of the same coin.

Perhaps the reader may be thinking: "But how can a psychologist achieve structural changes in the patient's brain? Fuck me, that is only possible with a psychopharmaceutical!". If that is your case, you have to know that the brain changes permanently throughout our life; in fact, it is life itself.In fact, it is life itself that makes it change.

When we learn to play the violin, our brain changes. When we learn a new language, our brain changes. When our partner leaves us for someone else, our brain changes. When the neighbor insults us because we played the music too loud, our brain changes.

And I am very serious, without metaphors or exaggerations. Thanks to the great permeability and capacity of the human brain to modify itself and adjust to the daily experiences and demands of the environment, we have become the dominant species on the planet. So you know, the psychologist can do a lot for you in that sense.

Beyond psychotropic drugs

In tune with the above, you should also know that while medication can be very beneficial, there is one thing it is impossible for it to do for you: resolve the conflicts that come your way in the lottery of life..

There are no pills that can help us reconcile with a sibling with whom we are at odds, for example. Or to help us choose a career to study. Or any other problem inherent to life itself that we need to solve.

Psychotherapy helps us to think about what we want for ourselves and to implement the necessary steps to achieve it. No medication has yet been invented to which we can delegate these questions.

In closing, I leave you with this question: What do you need if you want to learn to play the piano? The obvious answer is: A piano and a piano teacher. Well, the drug prescribed by the psychiatrist is the piano in this nice metaphor; and the psychologist is the teacher who teaches you how to play it.