Are There Specialist Psychiatrists for Depression?

When you are not well, you may seek out the advice of someone who specializes in the specific ailment that you suffer from in order to get the best and most up-to-date treatment possible. When you suffer from a mental illness, then, naturally, the professional you are seeking is a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are trained to treat people with mental illness. Just as there are specialists in other fields of medicine, such as an oncologist who specializes in breast cancer, someone who is dealing with mental illness may wonder if there is a specialist for their particular illness.

Are There Specialist Psychiatrists for Depression?

There are psychiatrists who are considered experts in particular areas of psychology. However, because there are no certifying boards for subspecialties such as depression, most psychiatrists who specialize in depression are self-identified. Their expertise is cultivated from long experience working with numerous patients who all have common symptoms and the same illnesses or who are a certain type of patient such as geriatric or juvenile.

How Do You Determine If Someone has Expertise in a Particular Specialty of Psychiatry?

Dr. McMullen attended Georgetown Medical School and went to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for his psychiatric residency. Education is important. All doctors should continually make an effort to keep abreast of the latest information through reading journals, attending conferences and consulting with fellow physicians to learn from them. Maintaining on-going education prevents stagnation. And while all psychiatrists must attend school in order to receive their credentials and certification to practice, it is working with people who share a specific ailment and treating them successfully, that proves a person to be an expert. Dr. McMullen has successfully treated many people who have suffered from depression and helped them to return to 100% capacity to function in their own lives. If you are are looking for a specialist to help you return to normal, you can contact Dr. McMullen's office in New York City at 212 362-9635.

How Would Dr. McMullen Treat Someone Suffering From Depression?

Over the past 30 years or so, Dr. McMullen has practiced psychopharmacology, meaning he treats his patients with the use of medications. Once he gets patients able to function again, he will see them only once every few months, to check in on them, see how they are doing and make sure the medication is still being effective. Medication is not the only thing he prescribes, however. He recommends regular vigorous exercise and certain diet modifications, too. He strongly urges patients to take psychotherapy in addition to any other treatment. Treatments such as CBT or EMDR have been shown effective in helping to treat patients. Over the past several years, he has been working with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-- something he recommends for patients who may have treatment-resistant depression. He also recommends that if a patient is seeing more than one doctor, those doctors work together.

There are doctors who specialize in depression such as Dr. McMullen. There are many psychiatrists that treat depression because it is such a common illness. However, there are doctors that do specialize in depression. If you are suffering from depression, you may find it worthwhile to seek out a doctor who specializes in depression.

If you have further questions or live in the New York City area and are looking for a psychiatrist, you can contact Dr. McMullen's office at 212 362-9635.