Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with the examination, identification, treatment and prevention of problems observed in human emotional and mental abilities, behavior and adaptation to the environment. The term "psychiatry", first used by German psychiatrist Johann Christian Reil in 1808, literally means "medical mental treatment". Physicians who specialize in this field are called psychiatrists (psychiatry specialists).

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods in Psychiatry

Psychiatry uses various methods to diagnose and treat mental disorders that occur in individuals. Clinical interviews, examinations, laboratory tests, psychological tests and imaging methods are used for diagnosis. Methods such as pharmacotherapy (drug treatment) and psychotherapy are applied for treatment.

Areas of Interest of Psychiatry

Psychiatry deals with a wide range of disorders related to human mental and emotional health. The main disorders that fall under the scope of psychiatry are as follows:

Mood Disorders

• Depressive Disorders: Disorders characterized by symptoms such as persistent sadness, loss of interest, lack of energy, and hopelessness.
• Bipolar Mood Disorders (Bipolar Disorder): Disorders in which depressive periods and manic (excessive joy or energy) periods occur together. disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

• Panic Disorder: A disorder characterized by sudden intense fear and physical symptoms.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Recurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors performed to reduce these thoughts (compulsions).
• Specific Phobias: Excessive fear of a specific situation or object.
• Social Phobia: Intense anxiety and embarrassment in social situations.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Intense stress and anxiety following a traumatic event.

Psychotic Disorders

• Schizophrenia: A serious mental disorder characterized by delusions and hallucinations, with a distorted perception of reality.
• Delusional Disorder: A condition characterized by delusions and impaired ability to evaluate reality.

Eating Disorders

• Anorexia Nervosa: Excessive weight loss and undernourishment due to fear of gaining weight.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Episodes of binge eating followed by vomiting, excessive exercise, or other compensatory behaviors.

Adjustment Disorders

Excessive emotional or behavioral reactions to a stressful life event.

Sexual Dysfunctions

Disorders that involve problems with sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm.

Sleep Disorders

Disorders that involve insomnia, excessive sleep, or abnormal behavior during sleep.

Personality Disorders

Long-standing, rigid, and dysfunctional patterns that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, and behavior.

Liaison Psychiatry

Evaluation and treatment of mental disorders that accompany physical illnesses (e.g., diabetes, obesity, cancer).

Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders

Disorders that deal with physical, psychological, and social problems resulting from alcohol or substance use.

Psychiatry offers a multifaceted approach to improving the mental and emotional health of individuals, increasing their social adaptation and improving their quality of life.