What is the difference between a Social Worker and a Psychiatrist?

Question

My wife has decided to see a Social Worker with a Master Degree instead of a Psychiatrist. She says the difference is that a Psychiatrist looks at the person whereas the Social Worker looks at the person's surroundings. I am just afraid my wife is going to come home and start blaming everything around her for her craziness.

Answer 1

A psychiatrist can write your wife prescriptions whereas a Social Worker is basically a Psycologist, or glorified councelor.

Answer 2

First of all, referring to your wife's problems as her "craziness" will not help anything. Second, a psychiatrist is a licensed doctor who is trained in brain and behavior and can write prescriptions (really much more but a simple explanation) while a social worker is someone who helps a person works on their problems and cannot write prescriptions. It sounds as though your wife will be seeing a counselor. This can be a very helpful process in understanding why we do some things and yes- it can also help to see how other people's attitudes contribute - but is not designed to blame others. I wish your wife the best in this process and hope she is able to work through all she might be facing.

Answer 3

A psychiatrist is an M. D., a medical doctor who can prescribe pills for depression and other things. A Certified Social Worker specializes in talk therapy. I see both for depression. If the talk therapy helps "her craziness" would be seen by her in a fresh light: it's not what is happening but the person's automatic opinion about what happens. Epicetus said people are not upset by events but by their opinions about events. If you knew your cousin committed suicide yoiu would be upset, especially if he was Catholic and couldn't be buried on holy ground afterwards. If you were an extremist that hates the U S, on the other hand you might throw a party to celebrate his glorious martyrdom. In The Unfair Adsvantage by Tom Miller, the author mentions that he has a stuffed animal in his office. People have praised it as a beautiful example of taxidermy; others have condemned it as cruelty to animals. But, he points out, it is always the same THING, a stuffed animal.
If I think a loved-one has died in a horrible accident, and then I get a phone-call from them yelling and screaming what a worthless excuse for a human being I am---I am joyous that they aren't dead!!!! I might wish they were mute though.
I once saw a mother whose youngster was running around a store talking loudly and my eyes teared up: "I have a friend whose child is the same age and the child will never walk and never talk; my friend would trade places with you in a second."
P. S. to "nextexiter": I know a lot of social workers who do not work for a government but have a private practice. It sounds like you hate social workers who work for the state. But CHEER UP; they may all be vaporized by the nuclear weapons coming in from North Korea and Iran any second now!!! (Keep smiling; distract yourself; read Jim Butcher for escape.)

Answer 4

The only thing I can say, is the one time I desperatly needed some help, and a Social Worker was the only one I could talk to, it actually did me some good. It was very strange because she was very down to earth, and was not haveing a very good time of it herself, so we basicaly had a good cry out together lol. Weird, but it actually helped. That is something that would never be allowed by a shrink. So hopefully she finds one that is well grounded. I think they are just able to talk a little more freely about what is going on in your life instead of examining left and right your emotional take on things, and instead of prescribing meds to fix all the problems. Face it, not everything can be fixed by a pill. Well, it can be muted, but that won't fix the problem. Your wife may end up doing just that, but hopefully she has her head on enough that she can examine the different things that are causing her problem, and fade them out, without it causing a big problem. Just be willing to go along with the changes and be supportive.

Answer 5

A psychiatrist treats a psychological disease and desires years of training and a scientific degree. He delivers scientific care and prescribe drugs. additionally, finding on what he says concerning to the psychological state of a guy or woman in courtroom, a suspect could be set loose. A social worker facilitates human beings in complicated social situations (abused spouses, babies etc). those human beings is probably not ill in any respect. Social workers are often intently evaluated in the previous they're allowed to significant in that difficulty at colleges, using fact their artwork consists of enormous household projects too.

Answer 6

A psychiatrist is able to prescribe medication, a social worker can not. Each looks at the person as a whole, which would include environment, lifestyles, upbringing.etc...everything not just one isolated event

Answer 7

Psychiatrists have medical degrees. They can prescribe medicine. They also have much more education than a social worker. If you wife needs counseling, she'd do better with a social worker, but if she has a mental illness she'd do better with a psych.

Answer 8

the social worker looks at problems in and around you wifes life that may be causing her depression or anxiety at this time, and tries to find things to change that would make a difference,
The psychiatrist tries to look into her thought process and work out why she thinks like she does,
there both on the same wave length, and both are hoping to resolve the problems your wife is finding hard to cope with at this time,, as for blaming you, dont worry their job is not to perportion blame but to help improvement and progress your wifes health back to the best it can be,,
lots of suport,help and understanding through a difficult time, i am positive you will both reap the rewards,


good luck

Answer 9

A Psychiatrist is an M.D. medical doctor who then specialized in psychiatry. That's right, pre-med, med school, etc. etc. etc. He can write prescriptions.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker... hey, ask your wife. An LCSW can't write prescriptions. You're mentioning master's degree, and beyond that, there's a training/licensing program that takes, I think, two years.

Answer 10

A psychiatrist goes to med school and deals mainly with "fixing the problem" via medication. rarely do they do any kind of talk therapy other than asking about your symptoms, diagnosing you with a disorder (if you have one) and then getting you started on meds.

Social workers on the other hand do more counseling related activities--assessments, intakes, crisis and trauma work. Social workers are more interested in the person as a whole and how he/she is realted to his/her surroundings.