Mental health treatment is something everyone should take extra care of, especially in this fast-paced lifestyle. And thankfully, online psychiatry can prove an extremely effective solution to meet your mental health treatment goals without stressing out too much.
To help you understand the concept, we are drafting this blog with details on how online psychiatry works and how online psychiatrists come to your rescue.
Things you must know about online psychiatry.
The first thing you need to figure out is whether online psychiatry is right for you or not by determining if you need a psychiatrist or a psychologist.
A psychiatrist is a trained medical professional who deals with:
- Conducting a physical exam
- Ordering and evaluating lab tests
- Diagnosing medical and mental health concerns
- Prescribing medications to treat the concerns
- Monitoring the health along with the side-effects of the medicines you are taking
- Recommending a counsellor or psychotherapy
- Working with your primary healthcare provider to support your mental health.
Whereas a psychologist is a state-licensed mental health professional who diagnoses mental health issues and treats them accordingly.
What can you expect from an online psychiatry appointment?
The first appointment with any new healthcare professional usually takes time. With an online psychiatrist, you may require doing things like:
- Verify your identity
- Answer questions about your medical and mental health history
- Provide copies of your medical records
- Gain details on whether you require lab tests or physical exams
- Understand how to reach for help in case of emergencies, etc.
The first session may last longer, but the later sessions will become shorter based on how the treatment plan affects your symptoms.
How effective is an online psychiatry session?
It is believed that online psychiatry session produces similar results to in-person appointments.
In fact, research has shown that psychiatry assessment and evaluation done using videoconferencing proves highly accurate and reliable compared to in-person sessions.
How does the medication work?
It is possible for an online psychiatrist to prescribe medications for mental health concerns through online sessions, too.
Typically, a psychiatrist requires to conduct an in-person exam before recommending medications that are classified as controlled substances.
Here are some medications that are commonly prescribed for mental health conditions that fall into categories like:
- Stimulants: These types of medications are used to treat depression, ADHD and other mental health concerns.
- Benzodiazepines: These types of medications help with anxiety and panic disorders.
- Hypnotics: These types of medications deal with issues like insomnia.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, more and more people are seeking online doctor’s consultation for health concerns. Opting for an online psychiatrist for mental health isn’t any different either. In fact, patients who wish to stay private with their mental health treatment can benefit a lot through such sessions.
To be concluded
Now that you know a lot more about online psychiatry than you first started reading this blog, it is time to connect with a reliable online psychiatrist to evaluate your symptoms and get a better solution for the same.
Absolutely agree with Grace (the author) here although, whilst always the most eminent and qualified, psychiatrists normally deal with psychosis, not neurosis which is what most people suffer from. Consequently, many people may benefit more from a professional psychologist, psychotherapist or even life coach, depending on the circumstances. For more free information, feel free to visit my personal website.