Mindspa
Query: I am a girl doing my first year degree. I find myself having continued anger outbursts which
subside soon. This is affecting my relationships with close friends and family even. I want to consult
someone. But I don’t know whether I should consult a psychiatrist or a psychologist?
Dear reader, primarily I would like to remind you that teenage is the time when our hormones takes us for a ride that too higher with females. So obviously the fluctuations in chemicals within the body will show up in emotional imbalance. That could a reason of your anger. Having said this I would also like to add that there could be other reasons too for your anger outbursts. I would suggest you to meet a psychologist to assess the situation in hand correctly, rather than jump into wrong conclusions.
As for the second part of your query, I would like to clarify the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. A psychiatrist is a medical practitioner who has studied MBBS and specialized in psychiatry. A psychiatrist looks at the physical symptoms and analyses the reason for behavioral changes. A psychiatrist is permitted to prescribe medicines for mental illness. A psychologist, on the other hand is a person who tries to understand the behavioral changes by analyzing the client’s thought process. They are not permitted to prescribe medicines. They use verbal questionnaires to analyze situations and employ therapies like CBT, Regression, and hypnosis and so on to treat ailments. These therapies are all verbal connections and don’t include any medication or physical contact. So in your case it would be
best if you could talk to a psychologist and understand the situation. An apt solution can be achieved only through an apt diagnosis. So needn’t worry. This is a situation that can be handled easily. Thankyou.
By Sindhu Nandakumar
Founder & Consulting psychologist@Svaastika
