A Clinical psychologist is a medical attendant who uses scientific methods to deal with psychological problems in attempting to improve the health and social development of a patient through psychoanalysis and mental evaluation. It may also involve investigation, psychometric examination, express dialogue, straight scrutiny, relative testimony and personal development plans. It’s used on different age groups addressing the bodily and intellectual complications of patients with depression, anxiety, mentally ill, neurological illness and problem adjusting to bodily problems. Others are problems of addiction, eating, personal/ family behavior and educational.
It often focuses on groups like adult, child and family, forensic, old age and learning problems. They work in support with doctors, educational staff, therapists, and people close to the victims, social workers and physiotherapy personnel so as to get to the basis of these problems. They also act as psychology advocates for individuals with these problems, institutions like schools, and counseling provision to patients of terminal diseases. (Richmond, 2009)
Clinical Psychiatrist is a medical practitioner trained in analytical assessment, prevention and management of mental problems. In doing this, they examine the intellectual condition through taking history of victim in conducting mental and bodily tests. May take neurological images, neuro-physical evaluation and administer analytical measures to get to the basis of the problem.
In the circumstance of addiction in a close relative I would recommend the services of a psychologist in preference to a psychiatrist. This is because the former use a more scientific method of mental analysis and research. They also make observations, offer development programs, specialize on different groups and ages and address both the physical and mental causes, work cooperatively with other staff, and take a more all-round approach to the problem considering behavior and views of close relatives. They also offer counseling and rehabilitation and collect data to test their hypothesis unlike the psychiatrists who major on the mental and physical status of a patient. This is because the problem may be related to the physical and environmental factors. (Richmond, 2009)
Seeking mental health can result to stigma as it’s seen to lack definite medication which is barely the case. One is discriminated upon further heightening the stigma and the mental instability. Mental health service provision is also low and no insurance is provided for mental health treatment. This makes the access to mental health services much costly and frustrating thus increasing the mental problem. It’s also seen as a cause of physical and mental inability meaning that the person becomes unproductive and loses value resulting to more shame. (Mayo clinic staff, 2007)
Taking an example of an employed person, once the employer realizes he or she is seeking mental health he will see them as incapacitated and may also loose his job. The other workers will avoid him for the same reason and will lack the moral support needed to deal with the situation. The same also often happens within the family and this shows that stigma in seeking mental health is real and the issue needs to be addressed fully as statistics show that two of ten people in the contemporary society have mental complications. (Mayo clinic staff, 2007)
The ways of overcoming such stigma include seeking the required treatment fast, seek the company of supportive persons, avoid isolating yourself, make your aim known, focus on the illness and not behave like you are the illness, share experiences with people who have the same problem, monitor sources of stigma and attempt to offer solutions. One can also join a support group focusing on your stigmatizing area. (Mayo clinic staff, 2007)
List of references
Mayo clinic staff, (2007). Mental health: overcoming the stigma of mental illness. Web.
Richmond R. (2009). Psychology and Psychiatry. Web.