Posted by Racer on December 17, 2004, at 10:03:13
In reply to Re: Seeing a specialist as well as my T? Anyone?, posted by dawnfawn on December 17, 2004, at 6:30:18
Just for a quick and dirty explanation of why most people would have more than one professional on a treatment team:
The psychiatrist is a medical doctor, and these days is generally a psychopharmacologist -- someone who prescribes medications, but doesn't do therapy. There are exceptions, of course, but there's also the expense and the issue of what insurance will pay for. Besides, psychiatrists are trained as physicians, which a specialty. They're not trained as "therapists" per se.
The therapist can be a Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, etc. Lots of different levels and licenses, but they all come back to being trained and licensed to do talk therapy. They can't prescribe medications, can't admit a patient to a hospital directly, etc. They can do talk therapy. That's why we see them, for talk therapy. Medications alone cannot fix what ails us, so we also talk to someone to learn healthier coping strategies.
Then there are some situations that might require more intensive treatment. I don't think I need to be hospitalized for refeeding and treatment, and I know my insurance wouldn't cover adequate care in hospital, but I need more than either my psychiatrist (Dr CattleProd), my therapist, or my Primary Care Physician can or will provide. Therefore, my treatment team also includes a Registered Dietitian for nutritional counseling and rehabilitation. That's on the borderline of mental health treatment, by the way, since it's also direct medical treatment. After all, while anorexia starves the brain and effects psychological functioning, it also starves the body -- aside from just being underweight, I also have bone loss and cardiac problems and so on. The RD can be seen as either psychological counseling or medical support. Take your pick.
As for seeing a specialist in EDs, as well as my T, that's more complicated. I do know that I need more than my current T is providing, and maybe an ED specialist will be better able to treat those issues, just by virtue of experience with them.
Hope that explanation satisfies.
poster:Racer
thread:430484
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20041210/msgs/430770.html