Psychology vs. Psychiatry

Dr. John Breeding, Ph.D. psychologist discusses the difference between psychiatry and psychology. 

Psychiatry focuses on medical or physical interventions such as drugs, electroshock therapy, deep brain stimulation by electrode, psychosurgery, etc. This is the model of biological psychiatry. Behavior problems are considered to be actual medical illnesses with physical causes despite the fact that after over 100 years of attempts to identify a physical cause for mental illness, there are still none. 

Often time people are given antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, Effexor or Wellbutrin. 

SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are often promoted as correcting chemical imbalances in the brain but there is no proof that depression or mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain nor is there any proof that antidepressants correct an imbalance. These medications often time have horrible side effects like agitation and sexual dysfunction. 

Psychology by contrast acknowledges the potential of behavior problems being learned responses which can be corrected with therapy and communication, education and understanding. 

There are no cures in psychiatry. Psychiatric medications only suppress or inhibit symptoms of behavior problems. This creates long term mental health consumers who take expensive drugs but never fully recover from their difficulties.