I'm under a lot of pressure! Should I see a psychologist?

Insomnia, anxiety, irritability... The fast-paced and high-pressure life has caused a lot of mental stress to the modern people. What is your level of mental stress? Where can I see a psychologist? What is the difference between psychiatry and psychology? Experts answer questions online!

Zhang Weihua, deputy chief physician

Department of Psychiatry, Peking University Sixth Hospital

Methods for testing psychological stress

Psychological pressure is a subjective feeling, because different people feel different pressures when facing the same thing.

The stress values ​​measured by the stress self-assessment scale are relatively accurate for some people, but there are differences between individuals, and the values ​​measured by some people are not real.

You can rate yourself and ask people around you to help evaluate, and perhaps you can find a solution. If you can't find a solution, seek medical attention immediately and ask professionals to help further evaluate.

Does seeing a psychiatrist really help?

The psychologists we are talking about include two categories: psychiatrists and psychological counselors.

Treatment by psychiatrists is very helpful for patients. Psychological counselors have passed qualification examinations and received relevant training. They can also make certain judgments, treat and deal with clinically mild psychological problems or mental behavioral problems. However, if the patient's condition is beyond their capabilities or scope of practice, the psychological counselor will recommend the patient to see a psychiatrist.

If you have any psychological problems, we recommend that you seek timely consultation or treatment from a professional to restore your mental health as soon as possible.

The difference between psychiatry and psychology

The standard name for psychiatry and psychology is psychiatry.

In the early days of its development, psychiatry mainly treated serious mental illnesses, so society had a stereotype about psychiatry, thinking that psychiatry only treated crazy patients. In order to avoid this situation, some hospitals changed the name of the department to psychology.

In general, there is a shortage of professional psychiatrists in my country. In reality, many doctors working in psychiatry do not receive standardized training from the beginning. They either change jobs or only receive basic training.

A doctor who can provide truly professional, standardized and systematic treatment must be a psychiatrist. A qualified psychiatrist can provide consultation and treatment for all kinds of psychiatric illnesses, including consultation on psychological problems encountered by normal people.