WELCOME TO OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF DR. Ashish Kumar Mittal, MD Psychiatry (AIIMS)

Who is a Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses, including substance abuse, addiction and sexual problems.

What are the common psychiatric symptoms?

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• Anxiety, episodes of severe anxiety with increase perspiration and palpitation, fear of dying, excessive worry
• Repetitive thoughts and actions associated with anxiety
• Phobia from certain situation or object
• Frequent spells of unresponsiveness, hysteria
• Tension, inability to control anger, lack of life satisfaction
• Psycho-Sexual problems like premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of desire
• Sleep problems
• Headache, chronic pain and migraine with no findings on lab/imaging reports.
  
• Low and depressed mood, frequent crying spells, tearfulness, increase fatigability, negative thinking, ideas of self harm
• Fear, suspiciousness, muttering to self, hearing voices not heard by others, unusual and odd thinking, irritability, self absorbed behavior
• Overcheerfulness, increase talk, decrease need for sleep, overspending, increase energy, increase attraction towards opposite sex, ideas of increase self importance, increase religiosity, aggression
  
• Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, heroin or other drugs, inability to stop use of these drugs inspite of desire because of psychological and physical dependence.
• Children's behavior problems, hyperactivity (ADHD), learning difficulty, inattention, bed wetting
• Divorce, Doubts, Family problems

What are the common behavior problem in children?

• Learning difficulty, poor concentration and hyperactivity.
• Bed wetting
• Anxiety, Phobia, Fear and Depression
• Tension, inability to control anger, irritability , stealing and bullying others.
• Headache, chronic pain and migraine with no findings on lab/imaging reports.
• Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, heroin or other drugs.

Are Psychiatric problems (mental illness) treatable?
Yes, now with advancement in science there are lots of effective pharmacological and non pharmacological (counselling and psychotherapy) treatment available. But treatment should be taken from qualified doctor and regular follow-up should maintain.

How do psychiatrists tell what is wrong with their patients?
Because they are physicians, psychiatrists can order or perform a full range of medical, laboratory and psychological tests that provide a complete picture of a patient's physical, mental and sexual health. Their education and years of clinical experience equip them to understand the complex relationship between emotional and other medical illnesses, evaluate all medical and psychological data, make a diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan.

How long it take to see improvement?
It depends on the patient condition. Usually it takes 3 to 6 week to see improvement.

For how long treatment should be continue for any psychiatric problem?
It depends on type, duration and severity of problem. It also depend on nature of treatment (psychological or drug) and response to treatment. In some cases treatment may be needed lifelong under supervision of doctor.

My physician is giving psychotropic medicines. Can I take them?
Many person found psychotropic medicines in their prescription as psychiatric problems are very common (prevalence is 10-20%) in society. But due to stigma and lack of knowledge persons take treatment from general physician or neurologist, who can treat minor psychiatric problems. But any psychiatric problems best managed by psychiatrist because of their specialization and experience.

Is it good to treat addiction by forceful admission?
No, it is never advisable. Admission should be voluntary. Patient motivation is important for deaddiction treatment. In almost all cases, medical management from psychiatrist is necessary to prevent withdrawal and for detoxification.

How alcoholism or drug addiction treated?
Following steps are followed: consent of the patient, motivational interviewing, stoppage of drug/alcohol with prevention of discomfort or withdrawal, relapse prevention sessions, maintenance treatment.

What are the common misunderstandings about addiction?

• Addicts are bad, misbehaved, lazy or useless people
• People who do not abuse/drink continuously, that is throughout the day, don't have a problem
• People who are into substance abuse can be left alone if they earn well and work well
• Alcohol improves appetite and sexual libido