Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
how do you know which one you need to go see?? going to finally go get help for myself and my depression, anxiety and ptsd. But i'm not sure where to go.
I believe that a Psychologist is the next most educated professional, but they can not prescribe medication. Well, some can. Here is an article that explains it better than I can:
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/f/psychvspsych.htm
Next comes the Therapist. They can diagnose, from what I have read, but they can NOT prescribe medication.
I am not sure where counselors fit into this, I'm guessing they are less educated than a therapist, but that is my wild guess.
Bottom line, IMHO it is best to use a Psychiatrist or psychologist to diagnose you. If you are not sure about your diagnosis, or suspect that the doctor who diagnosed you did not do a good job, I say go with the most educated person, but look for somebody who specializes in the condition you have, think you have, or have been told you have.
Once we have the diagnosis, most of us use a therapist to help us sort things out. Again, if your issues are complex you may want to use a more educated person, or search for one who specializes in your condition.
A psychologist is a therapist/counselor that has a master's or doctorate degree in psychology. However, I think that in some states people with a bachelor's degree can perform counseling, if they are supervised by a psychologist.
When treating mental illness, a combination of medication and counseling is supposed to be the most effective. Also, in regards to counseling, it's best to undergo a type of counseling that fits your conditions/thought process(es). For example, cognitive behavioral therapy is a combination of cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy focuses on rewiring/replacing negative thoughts and cognitive distortions with a more accurate view. This is often effective for people with anxiety and/or depression. Behavior therapy works on changing your behavior. Cognitive-behavioral is usually one of the most popular forms of therapy. There are many others, and you can see what works best. Try to find a therapist that fits.
I hope you'll feel better. Good luck with treatment