# Psycologist and Psychiatrist? Do you need both?



## cartem2 (Mar 20, 2012)

I am just beginning to deal with my insomnia, SA, and OCD. I started with going to a physician, she put me on xanax and recommended me to see a psychologist. I went to a psychologist and she recommended I keep seeing her for therapy but also see a psychiatrist because they can prescribe the proper meds and would be more informed about anxiety meds than my physician would be. I really only want to get rid of my insomnia but I know that my SA is at the root of my insomnia. So I am doing what I feel I have to, to deal with the SA but I am really not wanting to be seeing 3 different Doctors and having some kind of Doctors visit once or twice every week.

My question is; If I am seeing a psychiatrist do I really need to keep seeing the psychologist as well?

I have not made an appointment with a psychiatrist yet but plan on doing that this week. I have my 2nd appointment with the psychologist next week and am thinking of canceling but I don't want to do so unless I know that the psychiatrist would be giving me the same care.

What would or do you do?


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## Frunktubulus (Jan 8, 2012)

In my experience psychiatrists are mainly for prescriptions and whatnot, so there's not so much to be gained from regularly seeing them, unless you're having problems with medications, whereas psychologists can probably do more in terms of regular therapy.


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## cartem2 (Mar 20, 2012)

Frunktubulus said:


> In my experience psychiatrists are mainly for prescriptions and whatnot, so there's not so much to be gained from regularly seeing them, unless you're having problems with medications, whereas psychologists can probably do more in terms of regular therapy.


I get what your saying but I do not understand why the more educated person is mainly only for meds and the less educated person is the one I am supposed to listen to for mental treatment? It doesn't seem right to me.


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## Frunktubulus (Jan 8, 2012)

It's more to do with differences in training rather than quality. Psychiatrists are physicians who _then _specialize in mental disorder, so they see things from a more pharmacological and diagnostic point of view, whereas psychologists are trained solely in psychology, so they have perhaps a more focussed idea of therapy and the cause and treatment of mental illness. I think that's kinda the idea of the differences, I could be wrong.


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## cartem2 (Mar 20, 2012)

Thanks guys, I see your point about the type of tranning, I had not thought of it like that.


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