@ Anton, you're huge ! If you had a squeaky voice, that would be hilarious!
Actually so would the old man as the kvlt metal listening, clean shaven[head] shrink
<--> I didn't know you were a Psychiatrist, I assumed most shrinks were just Psychologists.
Hi Ananth,
I'm curious: This is the second time you've referred to me as an "old man." I'm not sure that I'm that cool with that title, even though I am certain you're playing; maybe after I sleep on it. Dude, you're not going to be 17 forever. Let's not be ageist, then, okay? I talk to you like you're an adult rather than an adolescent although I'm a specialist in adolescent mental-health and see many 17-year-old patients, give or take a year. Why not talk to me and about me like I'm an adult, rather than a geriatric adult? I prefer that. Thanks.
As for your piece on Psychology/Psychiatry:
You are writing out of a misconception. I'm aware of it, as my closest colleague and friend, a psychiatrist, is from India. He described how the field is organized there, and, yes, it's very different than in the USA. He likes how it's done here a lot better, which must explain why he puts up with living here.
In the USA, things are very different in mental health. Psychiatrists deal w/the medical aspects of mental-illness, and have very little training in psychotherapy and testing. They have no research training and do not write a dissertation. They are the doctoral medical experts in the multidisciplinary treatment team.
Clinical psychologists deal with the, well, psychological aspects of mental health (psychotherapy and testing). They have very little training in medicine. They have ample research training and write dissertations. They are the doctoral applied behavioral science experts in the multidisciplinary treatment team.
So, yes, the two doctoral-level professionals sit at the head of the table for staffings and other meetings. That speaks volumes about "status," although to me it's all really silly.
I am a clinical psychologist, not
"Just a Psychologist." You see, unlike in many other countries, my profession: (a) Requires usually more years of post-Bachelor's training than psychiatry (an average of 7-10). Furthermore, psychologists do not receive their doctorate until the end of their training, while psychiatrists do after four years. (b) Is more selective with applicants (yes! Only 2-3% offered admission per accredited school) than medical schools, that are also selective, just less so. (c) Has complete parity, as a doctoral-level healthcare profession, with psychiatry. In other words, we are recruited by physician recruiters and receive the same benefits. We do what we do and don't do what they do; they do what they do and don't do what we do. But we're on the same plane in the (rather silly, often) hierarchy.
People often get confused and say, "Yeah, but psychologists don't prescribe." Yes, that's typically true, sans extra training. However, that's sort of like saying, "But electricians can't fix building foundations." Yes, true: Every profession has its specialization. Psychiatrists don't provide psychotherapy sans extra training, for instance.
Most importantly: USA Psychiatrists don't conduct evidence-based psychotherapy or testing, nor do they have the immense statistical training required to write that durn dissertation. USA Psychologists don't conduct evidence-based medical treatment or testing. The National Institutes of Health have found, after years of research, that mental illness responds much better to a combination of psychiatric and psychological treatment (psychiatry provides the fish, psychology teaches how to fish...oversimplification, but close). This combo has been found in rigorous research to significantly increase the odds that a person with mental illness with recover. In other words, the "drug therapy" and the "talk therapy" interact synergistically. Each treatment alone is inferior to the two types combined. Also, just like in regular learning, in psychotherapy, your brain is irreversably rewired, while the effect of psychotropic drugs is temporary. fMRI (functional MRI) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) research displays the aforesaid effect of evidence-based psychotherapy. There is no longer any doubt that psychologists, rather than psychiatrists, permanently change ailing brains. Psychiatrists, with their prescriptions, stabilize the patient so that s/he is able to benefit from psychological treatment, as well as throughout life, if the disease is chronic and needs periodic medical and psychological management.
Consider successful psychological treatment for major depression as a "depression bypass." Why? Because the scans show that healthy brain cells develop in the formerly malfunctioning region as therapy moves along. This is huge, and wonderful news for everyone who even remotely knows how devastating mental illness is for the patient and the family.
Additionally, clinical psychologists are far more likely to have predoctoral research master's degrees, further equipping them to conduct research. Most psychiatrists rely on other people to conduct their research. There's lots of variance, but I have two (predoctoral, obviously) research master's degrees. Furthermore, while med schools require an A/B college average for consideration for admission, psychology schools require an A average.
This is how it is in the US. In some countries, psychologists' entry degree is merely the master's.
Oh, and I have a lot of training in behavioral medicine and neurosciences, so the lines blur even further. But forget this paragraph.
