Do you recommend Psychologist or Psychiatrist?

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Hi, I've lurked here a while but never really post. It's come to a point where I think I need to see a professional but am not sure if I should see a Psychiatrist or Psychologist. I'm not sure which can give an adult diagnosis of Asperger's and how long that takes. Some stuff I've read makes it sound very hard to get an accurate diagnosis as an adult.

I've also got Depression and Anxiety and Insomnia. I'd rather not be reliant on drugs to sleep as I frequently am (either get from friends or over the counter stuff). Is a Psychologist then better to help with the underlying issues?

Make an appointment with a clinical psychologist in a group that has psychologists and psychiatrists. Most bit psychiatry groups have them. Tell the psychologist whats going on with you and he will send you to who you need to see.

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My personal experience has been more positive with psychiatrist then psychologist. Of course it all comes down to individual cases. But I found the medical model to be more neutral and less judgmental than the psychology model. When a psychiatrist asks me if I have been crying - I feel like they are asking a practical question like if a gastroenterologist was asking me if I had been having stomach cramps. My personal experience has been that psychologist and therapist are more apt to try to read things into a situation while a psychiatrist is more prone to just look at the facts. For example I have a very profound allergy to cats. A psychologist once tried to convince me that this was somehow related to a conflicted relationship with my mother because my mother always had cats. The psychiatrist on the other hand had the advantage of a scientific background that understood that allergies are usually auto-immune responses triggered by antigens.

So in a nut shell I find psychiatrist to be more scientific and psychologist to be more superstitious. But of course, it all comes down to individuals and I am sure their are some great psychologist and some very lousy psychiatrist.

Also, since psychiatrist do have the authority to prescribe medications - it is worthwhile to have that alternative. There are many cases where people do need medication either for a short term or long term purpose. A current and up to date psychiatrist is the expert on how to properly manage appropriate medications.

I am glad you had a positive experience with a psychiatrist, r2d2. However I have known many who have not, because psychiatrists have the perspective of diagnosing and treating mental illness, and to many of them, they are the hammers looking for a nail, and work on the basis that if you consult them then you are psychiatrically ill. Of course there are exceptions - in life there always are - however the risks for ASD people in the hands of psychiatrists deeply concern me. I have met a lot of both, psychologists and psychiatrists. There are some pretty biased psychologists too, though generally they are more interested in patterns of human behaviour (that's what modern psychology actually is, essentially, not the old Freudian stuff). The main thing is finding someone who really has a lot of experience and knowledge of ASD (Tony Attwood ideally IMO!) Wish I could clone him, the man is outstanding in a field or widespread diagnostic ignorance. He shares my objection to ASDs being in the DSM at all - just another money spinner for many psychiatrists IMO.

The way most big groups work nowdays, down here anyway, is they have psychiatrists to handle the meds and psychologists to handle the therapy. If you have a problem that simply needs medical management and don't feel like you could benefit from therapy then you can see only the psychiatrist. If you need only therapy then you see the psychologist, if you need both you see both - the psychologist regularly and for fifty minutes a session and the psychiatrist as needed to evaluate your meds and change them if need be, for about twenty minutes. Some psychiatrists do therapy, but many are moving away from that now and having clinical psychologists handle it for them. In some states, clinical psychologists can prescribe certain meds, or will be able to soon.

There are many different types of therapists out there. There are several types of psychologists with different degrees and levels of education, then there are therapists who are social workers specializing in psychology and there are simply counselors who have either majored in psychology but never gone to graduate school or who also took psychology courses along with their degree field such as education or divinity degree and those tend to counsel in schools or churches. Then you have the guys and gals who just took a course and work by themselves and call themselves therapists or counselors and don't have to be licensed to do it. Then of course you have New Age practitioners who call themselves just about anything they want because they "consider themselves to be one" and along with therapy you might get an aura cleansing or some homeopathic s**t.

I would go to a decent sized psychiatric group with a couple MD's, some clinical psychologists and even other types of therapists on staff and start by talking to the clinical psychologist. He will get you where you need to be. Clinical psychologists are also not as likely to say that medical issues are caused by some outside influence. Unless he specializes in analysis but that used to only be MD's, but you should stay away from that. It's a waste of time. The Freudian school is worse than the Jungian school, but unless you just want to understand yourself a lot better, I don't consider analysis worth it.

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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA.

The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com

I had problems with both. Psychiatrists prescribed me different meds that kept changing & I was better off quitting in the end. & the psychologist wanted me to try things that didn't work for me. I felt neither of em really understood me & I wasn't responding to them the way I should of.

If only knowledge, education and wisdom were the same things... I have observed plenty of people with the first two, practicing in the "helping" professions though can truly say that in my own personal experience, I have only seen 3 examples of a practitioner with the knowledge/education/wisdom triad - and that's a tiny percentage.

The backbone of medical practice is supposed to be the ideal of "first do no harm". It makes me sad to realise that so many not only disregard this for their own benefit in one way or another, but also do not seem to care about the harm that they do. Medicine has its share of narcissists, and though they are very small in number, they are huge in the harm that they do, the way they influence those around them, and their indifference to any needs that clash with their own self-interest.

Still, there are good people out there. Generally, I have found that the mature women practice more carefully and with more wisdom, though how true that is beyond my own observation, I don't know.

Psychologists actually try to help you through your problems, psychiatrists just want to give you pills, and they don't give a crap about your underlying issues. This is what I've found from my own experience. If psychologists were allowed to prescribe medication, then I would quit dealing with psychiatrists completely.

I've never seen a psychiatrist on account of not wanting to be prescribed medication. The amount of people I know who have actually benefitted from medication is in the vast minority, though this is just my experience. Many posters here swear by the medication they have been prescribed as enriching their lives, so it's a very subjective/personal thing.

To give you an example, a friend of mine recently got out of rehab for various substances. While he was there he weaned off an antidepressant prescription he'd been on for over ten years, as well as a ritalin scrip that truly destroyed his wellbeing. I was astounded that his psychiatrist prescribed him a form of amphetamine given hispast substance abuse issues... And sure enough, as soon as he got it he began abusing it and his tolerance to other drugs skyrocketed.

His words to me after getting out last week were 'My God, Bungle... I actually have emotions! They're terrifying but I haven't felt them in over ten years!'

This is just one example, but for that reason I would personally recommend following the counselling route first... And don't be afraid to 'shop around' for a psychologist who understands you. I've seen many for the same reasons as you, and thanks to a good therapist and participating in a sleep study,I have discovered that:

-The depression and anxiety I feel are related to an ASD, which explains why I've felt like this from a very early age, and...
-I have a delayed circadian rhythm for which medication is very much ineffective, explaining why prescriptions for insomnia medication have never worked for me.

The solution for both lies very much in the way I think and strategise my actions. By being careful and aware that I don't fall asleep til 2-3am no matter what I do, I've been out of bed, showered and on the train to work for 8.40am every day for the last few weeks.

I manage my neuroticism and depression better than I ever have by moving towards acceptance, following my therapists' suggestions (he revealed that he's on the spectrum too recently, which is why we get on so well I guess...) and being aware of diet and exercising, eg rock climbing and bodyweight training.

Sorry for the fragmented post, typing on my phone doesn't allow me to review what I'm writing as easily as I'd like.

It's my opinion that if you are indeed on the spectrum, the depression may result from a pervasive sense of being 'different' in subtle ways and the anxiety from potential undiagnosed sensory issues as well as the inability to 'switch off' your thoughts... Which can also result in insonmia.

Good luck!

I've seen more psychiatrists than psychologists but I've always found psychologists more helpful. My first psychiatrist was excellent but he talked to me for an hour at a time and really got to know me. No other psychiatrist I've seen has ever been as good. I have far more respect for psychology in general than psychiatry. Psychology has always been more focused on recovery than diagnosis of disease and maintenance through medication. Most psychiatrists are happy just to throw meds at your problems rather than helping you deal more pro actively with your problems.

I've seen plenty of both and I have to go with psychiatrists. They are medical doctors, while psychologists are social scientists. Psychologists will do Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - relaxation, positive thinking, etc. They essentially blame the patient for their symptoms. Psychiatrists look for the medical problems and have access to CBT techniques as well as medications.