Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a medicine discipline that focuses on the mind – the diagnosis, treatment and management of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. The mind is a powerful complex thing that encompasses behavioural, perceptual, cognitive, and emotional systems of an individual. It is responsible for your thoughts and feelings, intellect, reasoning, memory and all other unconscious cognitive processes. The mind correlates to mental health, and only through the understanding of the mind comes treatments for mental health conditions.

A balanced mental health is important in maintaining quality of life as our mental health reflects our emotions, psychological functions, and social well-being – affecting how we think, feel, act, make decisions and choices, and communicate with others.;

Mental illnesses are disorders that affects your thought processes, mood and/or behaviour. With the complexity of the mind, even until today, doctors may still not have fully studied and understood all there is about our mind. Some common factors can contribute to the development of mental illness include biological factors (e.g., genetics, brain chemistry), life experiences (e.g., trauma or abuse), unhealthy coping mechanisms (e.g., substance abuse), and family history of mental health problems (hereditary). Now, you or a loved one may experience the following signs and symptoms related to emotions, thoughts and behaviours that may be an early warning to a presence of mental disorders.

Feeling sad, confused and/or reduced ability to concentrate
Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
Withdrawal from friends and activities
Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
Problems with substance (alcohol or drug) use
Major changes in eating habits
Sex drive changes
Excessive anger, hostility or violence
Suicidal thinking

While some of these symptoms may be normal from time to time, if persists for a long period of time without management, it can develop into mental illness that eventually may affect your ability to function in your daily life.

List of conditions:

Substance abuse disorder
Anxiety disorder/panic disorder (involving panic attacks)
Depression
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Autism spectrum disorder
Bipolar disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
Dissociative disorder (or multiple personality disorder)
Eating disorder (such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder)
Sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia)
Postpartum depression

Diagnosis and treatments by our psychiatrists can be very individualized and unique to you and your situation. In diagnosing your condition, our psychiatrists, as medical doctors, may perform a variety of medical laboratory and psychological tests combined with conversation about your symptoms (how you feel etc.) and medical and family history to see the overall picture of your physical and mental state (1) in order to best diagnose your condition by complying to the criteria laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and determine the most suitable individualized treatment plans.

List of procedures:

Psychotherapy (talk therapy)

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
Problem-solving therapy (PST)
Psychodynamic therapy

Medications

Helps in control balance of chemical signalling and communication within your brain to reduce symptoms
E.g., antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, mood stabilizers, stimulants, hypnotics, and anxiolytics

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Light therapy for seasonal depression

It is important to seek professional help if you are struggling with your mental health, as treatment is available and can make a significant difference.

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