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:
- Will my child grow out of it?
- What is the long-term outlook? Will my loved one or I grow out of it?
- What medications can be used to improve it?
- What are the side effects of these medications?
- Do they lose their effectiveness after a period of time?
- What other kinds of treatment can be given besides medication?
2. Diagnosis: Dementia
Questions that should be asked:
- What kind of dementia is this?
- How is it going to progress?
- What kind of treatments are there, both medial and non-medical?
3. Diagnosis: Substance Dependence/Abuse
Questions that should be asked:
- What causes this dependence/abuse and what kind of medical and non-medical treatments
are there?
- If it is alcoholism, how effective is Alcoholics Anonymous in helping?
- Have any physical problems developed from the substance abuse? If so, what is likely to
happen?
4. Diagnosis: Schizophrenia
Questions that should be asked:
- What is schizophrenia, what causes it, and what is going to happen in the future?
- 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?
- What medications are available, how good are they, and what side effects can they cause?
- 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:
- What is the cause or causes of depression?
- If stress is a factor, what can be done to help the stress?
- What are the different medication and non-medication treatments?
- How good are these treatments and what are their side effects?
- How good is ECT (electro-convulsive therapy)? What side effects does it cause?
- 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:
- What causes bipolar disorder?
- If it is caused by stress, what can be done to help the stress?
- What are different treatments including medications, psychotherapy, group therapy,
family therapy or ECT (electro-convulsive therapy)? What side effects do they cause?
- 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:
- What causes either one?
- What is the outlook?
- What are the different treatments and how successful are they?
- What are the complications of the treatments?
8. Diagnosis: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Questions that should be asked:
- What causes it?
- I have heard about cognitive/behavioral therapy being helpful. What is this and how does
it work?
- I have heard that some medicines can help. What are they, how good are they and what are
their side effects?
- 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:
- What causes panic disorder?
- 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?
- 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:
- 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?
- I have heard that medications can help agoraphobia. What are they, what are their side
effects and how good are they?
- 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:
- 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?
- I have heard that medications can help social phobia. What are they, what are their side
effects and how good are they?
- 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:
- What causes generalized anxiety disorder?
- 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 generalized anxiety disorder. What are they, what
are their side effects and how good are they?
- 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:
- What causes somatization disorder?
- What treatments are available?
- How good are they?
- What is the outlook?
Harold D.Wolf, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry Washington
University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO