First off, the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist is that a psychiatrist can prescribe medications if they feel the need. Otherwise both deal with people on a very emotional and personal level and are bound by the same type of doctor-patient confidentiality that prevents what they say during a session from being used against them in any way. Psychiatrists in movies tend to bend the rules and even break them when they feel the need however, which is a quick way to lose their job and their ability to practice medicine ever again. While psychiatrists get away with a lot in movies it’s safe to say that they wouldn’t be able to do half of the things they do in real life.
If your shrink decides to start going off script then you might just be in a movie.
5. Psychiatrists don’t generally manhandle their patients.
The level of touching in a psychiatry session is usually very low since the psychiatrist is there to help the patient through therapy and medication if needed. This means that they have a literal hands-off approach to their patients and will almost never deign to become physical with them in any way unless it’s a mutually agreed upon thing such as a hug or a handshake.
4. There’s no such thing as an instant cure.
Some films dealing with psychiatry use the ‘instant cure’ for comedic purposes but there is no such thing. Diagnosing and then dealing with the issue at hand takes time, patience, and a lot of understanding on the part of both the psychiatrist and the patient. If it were possible to cure people of their mental maladies that easily then most psychiatrists would be out of business.
3. A lot of psychiatrists are just as messed up as their patients.
Do you want to know why there are psychiatrists that are so good at their job? With a few of them it’s because they have or have had issues in their lives that are similar or in some way just as traumatic as their patients. It’s not a prerequisite to be a psychiatrist thankfully, but keep in mind if you ever talk to a psychiatrist that somewhere deep down there might be scars that you can’t see.
2. Not all psychiatrists are rich.
The movies tend to show many psychiatrists being filthy rich and holding their sessions in nice, big offices with personal secretaries and lavish settings that must surely cost a small fortune. Not all psychiatrists have such successful practices and those that do are usually highly educated and have a large list of regular patients that are able to afford their services.
1. Not all psychiatrists are as highly educated as they are in films.
Going into psychiatry does involve obtaining a medical degree and passing the MCAT, or Medical College Admisssions Test. You do have to be intelligent enough to pass this test and then pass the courses but you don’t have to be a super genius to be a psychiatrist. Empathy and intelligence combined are more potent tools for a psychiatrist than an overwhelming abundance of knowledge.
It’s not an easy path to follow but it’s also not as hard as the movies make it out to be.
Follow Us
