Which doctor prescribes antidepressants

A psychologist is often a doctor, but is not an M. However, in Louisiana and New Mexico and in some countries outside the U. Your family doctor can prescribe anti-depressants. A good family doctor will check you thoroughly before even considering prescribing anti-depressants. I have been on anti-depressants since i was 12.

What age are you talking about?

Why do doctors prescribe amphetamines? Who is authorised to prescribe medication? Who can prescribe antidepressants? In most countries, antidepressant medications must be prescribed by a qualified medical professional. In other words, a licensed medical doctor will need to write up a prescription for antidepressant treatment.

Primary care doctors also are not trained to practice psychotherapy. So you may turn to a psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist for therapy. Psychiatrists are doctors who can prescribe antidepressants and other medications and sometimes also offer therapy.

They are, though, often more expensive than non- MDs.

While not a cure-all, antidepressants have been clinically proven to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. Medical research has brought newer antidepressants to the forefront, which are generally safer and easier to prescribe than the previous generations of antidepressants. With the newer medications also comes more educational material for family practitioners, which is crucial considering it is family doctors who treat a majority of the people. How doctors prescribe antidepressants If a person asks. Most people who have major depression prefer working with a psychiatrist as opposed to a general practitioner.

Although a general practitioner can prescribe antidepressants with good intentions, they lack the specific knowledge that a psychiatrist should have about antidepressants. Below are the different types of prescription medicines that regulate the levels of different neurotransmitters in your brain. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) SSRIs affect a chemical in your brain called serotonin. SSRIs usually are the first kind of antidepressant your doctor will prescribe. These types tend to have fewer side effects.

An imbalance of serotonin may play a role in depression. These drugs fight depression symptoms by decreasing serotonin reuptake in your brain. Depression can lead to people living miserable and sort of withdrawn lives.

There are many symptoms, with insomnia being one of the most obvious. When you or any family member is suffering from such a problem, your family physician would be there to prescribe the ideal antidepressant medications. Undertreating may take the form of prescribing too little medication or medication best used for different mental health issues. When patients see commercials for antidepressants , such as Zoloft, and think that it can help them, they go to their doctors and request it. Doctors are more likely to prescribe an antidepressant when a patient specifically asks for it.

Some believe doctors are usually too anxious to diagnose someone with depression.

The typical patient who received antidepressants without a formal diagnosis was a white woman over who had high blood pressure, diabetes or several medical problems. However, antidepressant use in children and teens must be monitored carefully, as rarely there can be severe side effects. Certainly a psychiatrist is going to be able to prescribe and he or she has the added advantage of expertise with diagnosis and treatment. Some psychiatrists do psychotherapy while others would refer to a psychologist or other therapist.

Antidepressants carry a Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Learn about a depression medication and how it may help treat depression. Find treatment resources as well as safety and clinical data pertinent to doctor s.