How the team works together?
From the book – Chapter 2: Psychology, Psychiatry and Counselling
How the team works together
Imagine a young woman named Anita who has been feeling hopeless for two months. Here is how care might unfold.
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She sees her family doctor, who finds nothing physical and screens for depression. The doctor refers her to a psychiatrist because her symptoms are severe.
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The psychiatrist confirms major depression, starts an antidepressant, and asks her to come back in two weeks.
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A psychologist begins weekly CBT sessions to work on negative thinking and restore daily activity.
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A social worker helps with a work leave letter and a family meeting.
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After three months she feels much better. The psychiatrist reviews her medicine; the psychologist helps her plan for relapse prevention.
No one professional did everything. The strength of the team was that each person did what they were trained to do.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 2: Psychology, Psychiatry and Counselling
Stories from real life
- Who Should We See First? – Anita, twenty-six, had been having panic attacks on her commute to Bengaluru for three months. Her heart pounded, her hands tingled and she was sure she…
- A Door Closes, a Room Opens – Daniel was fifty-two, a regional manager in Nairobi, when his company closed its office and he was let go after twenty-three years. For weeks he told…
- The Man with the Guaranteed Cure – Sunita's twenty-year-old son Vikas had been hearing whispers and becoming suspicious of the neighbours. He stopped studying and stayed awake at night. Frightened, Sunita asked everyone…
- Second Opinions and Small Pills of Fear – Kwame, thirty, lived in Accra and had been through a long stretch of low mood, poor sleep and no appetite. His family doctor sent him to…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 14.5 – Sattva, rajas, and tamas — qualities born of material nature (prakriti) — bind the eternal soul to the body, O mighty-armed Arjuna.
- Bhagavad Gita 4.34 – Know that by approaching with respect, by questioning, and by service. Those who see will teach you.
More on this topic: What is mental health? A simple guide to the mind and who can help
More questions
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- What is true: psychology is best defined as…?
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- What is true: clinical psychologists typically…?
- What is true: counselling is most helpful for…?
- What does Bhagavad Gita 14.5 mean for the mind?
- What does Bhagavad Gita 4.34 mean for the mind? (Chapter 2)
- What does Bhagavad Gita 2.47 mean for the mind? (Chapter 2)
- Psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor – what is the difference?
- Early warning signs of mental distress