What’s the Best Thing About Psychiatry As a Career
A small statistic to begin with; globally 264 million people suffer from depression, anxiety attacks, panic disorders and chronic mental health issues. These include corporate executives, entrepreneurs, sports and film stars, children, women ; in short every segment of a population that you can think of. Dealing with these needs constant psychiatric supervision and a long term treatment. As we are running a rat race everyday, the competition, peer pressure, financial insecurities, health issues and family problems are killing us mentally. It’s only when people commit suicide or do something nasty, that others start noticing that there are issues that needs fixing. In this context, let us understand why psychiatrists play the most crucial role in helping people survive a bit more.
What Does a Psychiatrist Do?
Psychiatrists work with neurological issues but unlike professional neurologists, they don’t treat structural disorders like epilepsy, strokes etc. Mainly a psychiatrist work on issues like depression, anxiety and phobias by therapy sessions which may go on for months. When the counselling doesn’t work, only then you need to prescribe medicines.
Treatment Process.
Unlike other fields of medicine, Psychiatry does not have any tested format that will cure the disease. The treatments are always on the basis of the recovery level of the patients and their response to the sessions. Those who suffer from acute depression and phobia are provided with a mix of medications and therapy depending on the situation. Psychiatrists need to be very good observers and understand human psychology well. Patients who have traumatic past like domestic abuse, rape victims, and custodial torture keep on remembering those terrible events and break down emotionally unable to concentrate in their work. They are given medicines, injections and electrocution therapies to get over the situation.
Life, Salary and Growth
Psychiatrists have a tough life due to the tremendous mental stress they have to bear on a daily basis. Dealing with victims who have been mentally and physically violated, creates a negative emotion and trying to fix these broken people needs a lot of courage. You can work in private and public hospitals, health centers, polyclinics, research institutions and various other areas. Established Psychiatrists start their own chamber and treat patients. In India, the starting salary of a Psychiatrist is anywhere between Rs 20,000- 25,000 per month and it will increase as you grow in experience.
Most of the days you will have to listen to various problems and traumatic incidents that have affected your patients life. The session durations are generally 1-1.5 hours in the beginning after which it increases or decreases depending on the reaction of your patient. As a Psychiatrist, you should have great listening skills and communication. The ability to think like your patient is vital here. Unlike normal medical professionals, you might not have a weekend, as meeting patients personally and in off hours is also a part of your job.
Where Can You Study?
The best medical colleges in India, like AIIMS and AFMC do offer the 5.5 year full time MBBS course after which you can do a post graduation in the subject. To get a graduation degree, clearing NEET is mandatory and you must have Biology at the plus 2 level. In the course, you will learn human physiology as well as all the detailed elements that create mental disorders, childhood trauma, epidemiology and other subjects. Considering the taboo related to mental health, most students avoid these courses which has led to a massive demand of these professionals. Those who are well known Psychiatrists, earn around Rs 12lakhs to Rs 15lakhs per annum while in the USA it is between $150,000 – $300,000 per annum. As people are becoming more aware of mental health and are searching for expert Psychiatrists, your career will be flying high from day one.