Specialty Area: Adult Psychiatry

Description of Specialty: A psychiatrist is responsible for diagnosing and treating mental and emotional illness.

1. Diagnosis: Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Questions that should be asked:

  1. Will my child grow out of it?
  2. What is the long-term outlook? Will my loved one or I grow out of it?
  3. What medications can be used to improve it?
  4. What are the side effects of these medications?
  5. Do they lose their effectiveness after a period of time?
  6. What other kinds of treatment can be given besides medication?

 

2. Diagnosis: Dementia
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What kind of dementia is this?
  2. How is it going to progress?
  3. What kind of treatments are there, both medial and non-medical?

3. Diagnosis: Substance Dependence/Abuse
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes this dependence/abuse and what kind of medical and non-medical treatments are there?
  2. If it is alcoholism, how effective is Alcoholics Anonymous in helping?
  3. Have any physical problems developed from the substance abuse? If so, what is likely to happen?

4. Diagnosis: Schizophrenia
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is schizophrenia, what causes it, and what is going to happen in the future?
  2. What is this going to do to my or my loved one's ability to go to school, work, have a relationship, have a family?
  3. What medications are available, how good are they, and what side effects can they cause?
  4. If my loved one or I has children, what are the chances the children will have schizophrenia?

5. Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is the cause or causes of depression?
  2. If stress is a factor, what can be done to help the stress?
  3. What are the different medication and non-medication treatments?
  4. How good are these treatments and what are their side effects?
  5. How good is ECT (electro-convulsive therapy)? What side effects does it cause?
  6. If I or my loved one has a depression, what are the chances my or my loved one's children will have it?

6. Diagnosis:Bipolar Disorder
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes bipolar disorder?
  2. If it is caused by stress, what can be done to help the stress?
  3. What are different treatments including medications, psychotherapy, group therapy, family therapy or ECT (electro-convulsive therapy)? What side effects do they cause?
  4. If I or my loved one has Bipolar Disorder, what are the chances my or my loved one's children will have it?

7. Diagnosis: Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes either one?
  2. What is the outlook?
  3. What are the different treatments and how successful are they?
  4. What are the complications of the treatments?

8. Diagnosis: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes it?
  2. I have heard about cognitive/behavioral therapy being helpful. What is this and how does it work?
  3. I have heard that some medicines can help. What are they, how good are they and what are their side effects?
  4. If I or my loved one has OCD, what are the chances the children will have it?

9. Diagnosis: Panic Disorder
Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes panic disorder?
  2. I have heard that cognitive/behavioral therapy can be helpful. What is this, how does it work, and how good is it? I have heard that medications can help panic disorder. What are they, what are their side effects, how good are they?
  3. If I or my loved one has panic disorder, what are the chances the children will have it?

10. Diagnosis: Agoraphobia

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes agoraphobia? I have heard that cognitive/behavioral therapy can be helpful. What is this, how does it work, and how good is it?
  2. I have heard that medications can help agoraphobia. What are they, what are their side effects and how good are they?
  3. If I or my loved one has agoraphobia, what are the chances the children will have it?

11. Diagnosis: Social Phobia

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes social phobia? I have heard that cognitive/behavioral therapy can be helpful. What is this, how does it work and how good is it?
  2. I have heard that medications can help social phobia. What are they, what are their side effects and how good are they?
  3. If I or my loved one has social phobia, what are the chances the children will have it?

12. Diagnosis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What causes generalized anxiety disorder?
  2. I have heard that cognitive/behavioral therapy can be helpful. What is this, how does it work and how good is it?
  3. I have heard that medications can help generalized anxiety disorder. What are they, what are their side effects and how good are they?
  4. If I or my loved one has generalized anxiety disorder, what are the chances the children will have it?

13. Diagnosis: Somatization Disorder

Questions that should be asked:                                                  

  1. What causes somatization disorder?                     
  2. What treatments are available?
  3. How good are they?
  4. What is the outlook?

Harold D.Wolf, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO

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