There are various types of psychiatrists, including addiction psychiatrists, disaster psychiatrists, and child/adolescent psychiatrists, in addition to general practice psychiatrists. Other specialists include sports psychiatrists, geriatric psychiatrists, gay/lesbian psychiatrists, and HIV psychiatrists. Psychiatrists of all types must complete four-year bachelor’s degree programs, often in science, followed four-year medical school programs and four-year residencies. After that, you can begin specialty training.
General psychiatrists lack specialty training and treat people of all ages, backgrounds, and special interests who suffer from emotional and mental disorders. General psychiatrists, like all types of psychiatrists, are licensed medical doctors who can prescribe medication to treat psychological disorders. A general psychiatrist can treat a variety of illnesses ranging from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia using behavioral, interpersonal, or psychodynamic therapy in an independent practice or through affiliation with a hospital or clinic.
Psychiatrists who specialize in a particular demographic are known as specialty psychiatrists. The child and adolescent psychiatrist is the most common specialist in the field of psychiatry, and they treat people under the age of 18. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, Asperger syndrome, and other ailments common in children, including depression, are all treated such professionals. Psychiatrists in this field frequently work in residential or outpatient treatment centers for troubled or mentally ill children and adolescents.
Disaster psychiatrists help people cope with the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods, and other natural disasters that cause significant loss, destruction, and disruption to one’s stability and way of life. These professionals frequently arrive on the scene of a disaster and provide long-term or short-term assistance to victims attempting to rebuild their lives. Addiction psychiatrists also help people who are suffering from drug addiction, alcoholism, and eating disorders like bulimia, severe emotional overeating, or anorexia.
Geriatric psychiatrists treat elderly patients, while gay/lesbian psychiatrists deal with psychological issues that arise in homosexual people. The latter frequently addresses psychological issues associated with being transgender or transsexual. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are frequently treated geriatric psychiatrists. They may also assist senior citizens who are grieving due to loss, isolation, or depression.
HIV psychiatrists are a relatively new specialty that did not exist prior to the 1990s. People dealing with the human immunodeficiency virus, on the other hand, had to choose from a variety of psychiatrists. Doctors who have studied and researched how living with the virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) affects self-esteem, motivation, and quality of life can now provide psychological treatment to such patients and their families.
Another new field that has emerged is sports psychiatry, which was founded in the late 1980s. Athletes can work with sports psychiatrists to improve their athletic abilities, maintain mental balance, manage aggression, and recover from mental illness. These doctors work with athletes both during and after their sporting careers.