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Finding The Best Telepsychiatry Service Provider

Finding a mental health/telepsychiatry service provider can be challenging under the best of circumstances. You have to find a provider that you like. It is essential somehow, and this is highly subjective, although discussing differences in styles and understanding transference can be a treatment outcome. People can tolerate a primary care provider, or a dermatologist, who isn’t quite their cup of tea, but when it comes to a psychiatrist or therapist, the effort is even more daunting.

First of all, figuring out what the acronyms mean can be a challenge:

An MD or an MBBS is someone who went to medical school, has completed a four-year residency and is a licensed psychiatrist.

A ‘DO’ is a doctor of osteopathy who trained initially as an osteopath, but has completed a psychiatry residency and is also a licensed psychiatrist and can prescribe medication.

A licensed clinical psychologist has completed a masters degree and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has several years of training in various psychotherapy modalities. Most psychiatrists do not have psychology PhDs.

 

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An LSCW is a therapist, who has a masters in clinical social work. Some LSCWs continue to obtain two-year diplomas in psychodynamic psychotherapy and pursue CBT certification.

A psychoanalyst is a therapist, who has completed analytic training. Analytic training can take four to eight years. Most psychiatrists and clinical psychologists have not completed analytic training.

Once the letters have been figured out, the next step is the location. Whether seeing a telepsychiatry service provider via telepsychiatry or in the office, the provider has to be licensed in your state of residence or the state, where you are currently working. A provider who is not licensed in your state of residence is breaking the law, and will not be insured if you have a complication.

Not all providers accept insurance, and not all insurance plans adequately cover mental health services. Medication visits can be monthly and sometimes even three monthly visits if stable and symptoms are under control. However, the cost of weekly and biweekly psychotherapy can be expensive. One way to reduce cost is to see a psychiatrist for medication management and to see a therapist weekly within your health plan.

Even if cost and location is not a problem, not all providers are skilled in every type of mental health service. A therapist who has specialized in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may not be trained in Psychodynamic or Analytic therapy. Likewise, a therapist who specializes in psychodynamic psychotherapy may not have experience with relationship or family therapy. Not all psychiatrists are comfortable prescribing controlled substances even if FDA approved, and some substances such as buprenorphine require a special license to prescribe.

Some people prefer to see a telepsychiatry service provider, who speaks their mother tongue, and this is usually recommended with analytic therapy.

Telepsychiatry can help solve the problem of matching you to a telepsychiatry service provider (telepsychiatrist) who specializes in the type of therapy preferred or indicated for the patient, as theoretically you can see any telepsychiatry service provider (telepsychiatrist) licensed in your state, not just a person within a one hour drive which is the cutoff for most patients. Telepsychiatrists are also more willing to cut fees and schedule after hours and weekend visits for telepsychiatry, as they can work from home, fill empty office slots and are not restricted by office opening hours.

 
 

ABOUT GABA TELEPSYCHIATRY

Gaba Tele-psychiatry provides services through a HIPPA complaint video platform, as if you were in the office. We do not treat patients via phone or text message.All affiliated practitioners are US licensed , trained, and insured psychiatrists , who are screened, verified, and are known to follow US psychiatry guidelines and standards of care.

Now you can see your US qualified licensed & licensed Psychiatrist from anywhere in the world via Gaba Tele-psychiatry’s encrypted video platform.

 
Picture of Dr. Gundu Reddy, Certified Psychiatrist, NY

Dr. Gundu Reddy, Certified Psychiatrist, NY

Dr. Gundu Reddy is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with ten years of experience practicing forensic psychiatry and fifteen years of experience practicing clinical psychiatry. Dr Reddy has served as an expert witness in many high profile cases, both in the private and public sector, working for both plaintiff and defence.

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Many of us have noticed a change in mood during the winter months, a lowered level of motivation, a mild sluggishness, craving fatty foods, sleeping more, and just a little less excited about everything. This collection of symptoms during the winter is called ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ or ‘Winter Blues.’  There are many factors which can contribute to this:

  1. Cyclical/Idiopathic – Bears hibernate, why shouldn’t we? Are we all large two-legged mammals after all? Homo sapiens are thought to come from coastal Sub Saharan Africa where they lived for hundreds of thousands of years before migrating to southern Europe, and eventually the NorthernHemispheres. Hibernation is a method of conserving energy and essential nutrients as the food was traditionally scarce during the winter months.
  2. Although we are technically ‘warm-blooded,’ our metabolism does decrease during the winter months, which means reduced blood flow to the brain.
  3. We spend less time outdoors during the winter months – exposure to sunlight can stimulate our metabolism.
  4. Shorter daylight hours can mean it is dark when we go to work, and dark when we come home. Loss of exposure to sunlight can cause vitamin D deficiency.
  5. Direct exposure of bare skin to sunlight can stimulate the production of serotonin which elevates mood.

 

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Seasonal Affective Disorder is now a DSM diagnosis and is accepted as a medical condition. Diagnostic criteria include persistent low mood during the winter months, with significant improvement in mood during the summer months for three consecutive years. The question is, what should you do if you have a seasonal affective disorder and how can it be treated? Treatment strategies for seasonal affective disorder include:

  • Exposure to sunlight-  try to take your vacations during the winter months rather than during the summer if you suffer from the seasonal affective disorder. Luckily winter is considered ‘offseason,’ at many tropical resorts and vacation packages can be purchased at heavily discounted rates.
  • Sunbathing is an effective treatment, but care must be taken not to burn. Use sunblock, avoid the midday sun, and exposing as much skin as possible for shorter periods is more effective and safer than intense exposure to packages of skin.
  • Spend time outdoors- it is easy to huddle in front of the fireplace during the cold weather, but as the Russians say ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.’ Wrap up warm and take brisk walks outside.
  • White Light Lamps or SAD lamps for Seasonal Affective Disorder- Certain lamps have been found to combat depressive symptoms in those suffering seasonal affective disorder.  Seasonal affective disorder lamps emit white light which is supposed to imitate sunlight and have been found in clinical trials to be useful for the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder. White light lamps used in clinical trials emit white light, are at least one-foot square and emit at least 10000 lux. A standard daylight bulb is not an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  • Vitamin D- Some studies say that vitamin D is more effective than the SAD lamp in treating the seasonal affective disorder. Some doctors believe that seasonal affective disorder does not exist and is just vitamin D deficiency. It is accepted that vitamin D deficiency can make Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms worse, and it is worth trying supplementation. Standard multivitamins contain 800 IU of vitamin D, while some doctors prescribe 5000 IU daily during the winter months, especially in darker skinned individuals.
  • Avoid oversleeping- Sleeping more than ten hours per day can exacerbate symptoms of depression, and people tend to sleep more during the winter.
  • Avoid drinking more alcohol,  indoor activities which include going out for dinner, and going to bars- Harsh weather conditions can also mean staying at home and opening a bottle of wine. People do tend to drink more when drinking at home, as alcohol is significantly cheaper when purchased at the liquor store, and it is easy to keep drinking without hurting your bank balance.
  • Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder such as ‘Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors,’ can be effective for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  • Any form of regular, intense exercise can improve symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, possibly by improving metabolism and increasing the production of Growth Hormone, Noradrenalin, and Serotonin.
  • One strategy for treating low mood is filling your day with enjoyable activities. Extra care should be taken to fill your day with activities that you enjoy during the winter months if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Differential Diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder includes Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymic disorder, Atypical Depression, Mood Disorder due to a General Medical Condition (Vitamin D deficiency), and Bipolar Disorder. The seasonal affective disorder is treatable, and with careful evaluation and adherence to symptom management the ‘ Winter Blues,’ could be a thing of the past.

ABOUT GABA TELEPSYCHIATRY

 

Gaba Tele-psychiatry provides services through a HIPPA complaint video platform, as if you were in the office. We do not treat patients via phone or text message.All affiliated practitioners are US licensed , trained, and insured psychiatrists , who are screened, verified, and are known to follow US psychiatry guidelines and standards of care.

Now you can see your US qualified licensed & licensed Psychiatrist from anywhere in the world via Gaba Tele-psychiatry’s encrypted video platform.

 
Picture of Dr. Gundu Reddy, Certified Psychiatrist, NY

Dr. Gundu Reddy, Certified Psychiatrist, NY

Dr. Gundu Reddy is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with ten years of experience practicing forensic psychiatry and fifteen years of experience practicing clinical psychiatry. Dr Reddy has served as an expert witness in many high profile cases, both in the private and public sector, working for both plaintiff and defence.

Read More

Social Media

Most Popular

Get The Latest Updates

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter

No spam, notifications only about new products, updates.