Key Takeaways
Neuropsychiatry’s intersection:
- Specialized Focus: Neuropsychiatry uniquely bridges neurology and psychiatry, addressing mental health issues related to the nervous system.
- Brain Injury Expertise: It’s pivotal in treating and managing symptoms stemming from brain injuries, emphasizing customized care.
- Comprehensive Care: Combines medication management, counseling, and continuous brain function study for holistic treatment.
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Psychiatry is made up of many different fields that help to treat different categories of mental health disorders. Neuropsychiatry is one of these branches that has a strong focus on studying, diagnosing, and treating a variety of mental illnesses.
If you are interested in seeking mental health help from a neuropsychiatrist, you will need to understand what exactly neuropsychiatry is and what these specialists can treat. So, keep reading to understand this branch of psychiatry and who it can help.
What Is Neuropsychiatry?
Most people have heard of psychiatry but may not realize that this is not the only option they can access. A psychiatrist helps with diagnosing mental disorders as well as helping treat these disorders through different methods and medicines.
On the other hand, a neurologist is a professional who treats and diagnoses disorders in relation to the nervous system. These disorders are usually associated with abnormalities in the brain, nerves, or spinal cord.
A neurologist would treat symptoms like lack of sensation, seizures, paralysis, weak muscles, etc. The symptoms can be associated with disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, which are two examples of disorders neurologists would treat.
Due to what neuropsychiatrists specialize in, they specifically focus on mental disorders that are connected to the nervous system. This is different from psychiatry, which focuses on general mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with a disease of the nervous system should seriously consider seeing a neuropsychiatrist. They can help in the management and treatment of your disease as well as help you find a diagnosis if you are having unexplained nervous system-related symptoms.
What Does a Neuropsychiatrist Do?
Now you know what neuropsychiatry is, you may be wondering if this is something you should seek out for yourself. With so many different branches of psychiatry, many people may find it confusing when looking for treatment. It can become especially confusing since many of these disorders would benefit from combined treatment plans.
Here are some examples of what a neuropsychiatrist does for their patients. If you fall into any of these categories, this may just be the right option for you and your mental health concerns.
Treat Brain Injuries
Neuropsychiatrists often specialize in treating people who have some form of brain injury. A brain injury could be inherited, caused by some kind of degenerative brain disorder, or it may have been a result of brain trauma.
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by a force outside of your body, such as a car accident, assault, or impact. A non-traumatic brain injury is internal, often the result of a seizure, stroke, or drug overdose.
Neuropsychiatrists can examine the extent of your brain injuries to create a unique treatment to help manage your symptoms and aid in your recovery.
Council Individuals and Families
Neuropsychiatrists also help patients mentally manage the changes they will experience from something like a brain injury. They can provide counseling for patients and their families to help them better understand the symptoms of brain injury and how this will impact their lives.
A neuropsychiatrist can also help patients regulate the emotional changes after a brain injury, such as managing anger or impulses.
Study Changes In the Brain
After an injury, the brain will undergo significant changes and may change slightly over time. Neuropsychiatrists not only diagnose and treat brain-related injuries, but they also help study the brain to monitor these changes.
They help by studying their patients so that they can better understand how they are progressing and what kind of treatment would work best for them. They also use this research to better understand how to prevent injuries for other people.
Treat Mental Health Disorders
One thing that can make neurology confusing is that neuropsychiatrists help to treat mental health disorders. Even the slightest change in the brain can significantly impact how you process things, how you feel, and your behavior. That is why neuropsychiatrists also specialize in managing mental health symptoms.
Some examples of symptoms a neuropsychiatrist may treat include things like depression, mania, insomnia, and anxiety. These are symptoms that may also fall into the category of mental health disorders, depending on the extent of the symptoms and whether or not they are long-term.
Create Medicine Regimes
If you have a nervous system irregularity or injury, you most likely are on a regime of medications to manage your symptoms. The problem with this is that many medications come with different risks and side effects and may not interact well together. A neuropsychiatrist helps you to avoid these issues by regulating your medicine regime, ensuring you aren’t taking anything that could interact badly with each other. They can also help you find the best medication for what you need that won’t give you as many side effects.
The Future of Neuropsychiatry
Neurology is evolving more and more, especially as the connections between neurology and psychiatry have become clearer. Different ailments that fall under the neurology category are also being taken more seriously, helping patients get the resources they need.
Many believe that the future of neurology is a combination of psychiatry and neurology. Combined, these two treatment options can better assist patients in their recovery, as well as the management of their symptoms.
Conclusion
Understanding neuropsychiatry can feel overwhelming since there are many similarities between this and psychiatry. Although these are two very different things, they overlap in many areas, which is why they are very effective in combination.
A neuropsychiatrist specializes in the nervous system, specifically in brain injuries. They can help you better manage your symptoms and understand how your condition impacts your mind and body. They also help with other things, such as studying the changes to your brain, providing counseling, and treating mental health-related symptoms.
Have you recently been diagnosed with a nervous system injury or disease, or are you having nervous system-related symptoms? If so, contact us today at Memor Health to schedule an appointment with one of our professionals.
