The specialist stated that there are thousands of examples of enriching experiences in her professional career that fill her with satisfaction and pride.
Dr. Annabelle Rodriguez, psychiatrist. Image: Journal of Medicine and Public Health.
the Dr. Annabelle Rodriguez It is a prominent position psychologist He has over three decades of experience in his specialty, demonstrating his dedication and commitment to mental health in the Puerto Rican community.
“My career path has been inspired by different doctors in my life who have influenced me in the profession. Psychiatry in particular has been an exercise in the skills, talents and abilities one brings from the factory; communication has always been too easy for me and causes anxiety. About human behaviour,” As he says.
The challenges you faced
The specialist pointed out that there are two types of challenges. First, vocational challenges involve delaying gratification and giving up leisure activities, especially during youth, in order to focus on academic demands. Moreover, this entails becoming an agent of change and evaluation in the professional field.
Second, he mentioned that personal challenges relate to behavior modification and taking on the responsibility inherent in being helpful while maintaining a positive image. “It is very important for the community to trust their doctors and psychiatrists.”
Methods of dealing with the patient.
Dr. Rodriguez stressed that when dealing with a patient with the aim of making an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully choose the type of service to be provided. There are two essential aspects in this process: the ability to listen carefully to the patient and understand what he is expressing, without interfering to put words in his mouth or complete his sentences.
“Seeing how this person acts, how they talk, all the information is important to me, capturing it and being able to make a good judgment and develop a good strategy, because it’s not just what’s said, it’s what shows up in the process,” he added.
The expert confirmed that the most common diagnoses in society are related to emotional and affective conditions, such as depression and anxiety. In second place are people who suffer from thinking problems, hallucinations and confusion.
“There is a very wide range of mental health conditions, which don’t necessarily reach the desired level psychologist“Because it can be managed exclusively with psychotherapy, but when we arrive, in general, pharmacological strategies are already being considered.”
How do you deal with your patients’ crises?
Dr. Rodriguez stressed that the essential part of confronting the crisis, in her opinion, is not becoming part of it. For this reason, he emphasized the importance of being a factor that helps calm a person in cases of severe anxiety, severe reactions, and great emotion as a first step in dealing with the situation.
“Once he realizes that we are not going to attack or judge him, and that we simply want to help him, this usually helps us to modify this reaction. When the patient is calm, we must analyze why this is happening, as it is important to remain calm.”
Enriching experiences
The specialist stated that there are thousands of examples of enriching experiences in her professional career. In addition, it highlighted society’s perception of psychiatrists and their ability to deal with a variety of problems.
“There’s nothing like seeing a couple with communication issues improve; or a student with anxiety or concentration issues pass their exams; or someone with work situations be able to regain that stability and become great at their job again; or banned artists. “I see them doing their art again,” he said. There are many examples that fill me with pride and satisfaction, of the effort I make and the effort my patients make.”
Advice for your future colleagues
“The advice I can give them is that they feel they can contribute, and we are gaining everything else along the way. We are educating ourselves, technology is improving, but the most important thing is that health professionals, not only psychologistBut anyone has that sensitivity to listen and observe what this patient presents to us. “We can’t rush mental health. Everyone has their own challenges, fears and limitations. We need to have empathy, and once that happens, we can work on everything else.”