2023-09-10 04:02:12
The specialist mentioned that there are thousands of examples of enriching experiences in her career that fill her with satisfaction and pride.
Dr. Anabelle Rodríguez, psychiatrist. Photo: Medicine and Pubic Health Magazine.
The Dr. Anabelle Rodríguez is a standout psychiatrist with more than three decades of experience in his specialty, which underlines his dedication and commitment in the field of mental health of the Puerto Rican community.
“My career was inspired by different doctors in my life who influenced me in this vocation. Psychiatry, in particular, was more of an exercise in what skills, talents and abilities one comes with from the factory; communication has always been very easy for me and worry regarding human behavior,” he said.
The challenges you have faced
The specialist pointed out the existence of two types of challenges. First, professional challenges involve postponing gratification and foregoing recreational activities, especially during youth, in order to focus on academic requirements. Furthermore, this entails the transformation into an agent of change and evaluation in the professional field.
Secondly, he stated that personal challenges are related to modifying behavior and assuming the responsibility inherent in being a helping agent, while maintaining a positive image. “It is very important that the community trust its doctors and psychiatrists.”
Ways to approach a patient.
Dr. Rodríguez highlighted that when approaching a patient with the goal of making an accurate diagnosis, it is essential to carefully choose the type of service that will be provided. In this process, two fundamental aspects are the ability to listen carefully to the patient and understand what he is expressing, without intervening to put words in his mouth or complete his sentences.
“Seeing how that person behaves, how they speak, all the information is important to me, capturing it and being able to make a good judgment and establish a good strategy, because it is not only what is said, it is what is demonstrated in the process” , he added.
The expert emphasized that the most common diagnoses in the community are related to emotional and affective conditions, such as depression and anxiety. In second place are people with thinking problems, hallucinations and confusion.
“There is a very wide range of mental health conditions, which do not necessarily reach the psychiatristbecause they can be managed exclusively with psychotherapy, but when we arrive, generally, pharmacological strategies are already being considered,” he stressed.
How do you deal with your patients’ crises?
Dr. Rodríguez stressed that, in her opinion, the fundamental part of facing a crisis is not to become part of it. For this reason, she emphasized the importance of being an agent that helps calm the person in situations of high anxiety, intense reactions and great emotionality as the first step in addressing the situation.
“Once he perceives that we are not going to attack or judge him, that we simply want to help him, typically that helps us to modulate that reaction. When the patient is calm, we must analyze what is causing this to happen, that is It’s important to stay calm.”
Enriching experiences
The specialist mentioned that there are thousands of examples of enriching experiences in her career. Additionally, she emphasized the community’s perception of psychiatrists and their ability to deal with numerous problems.
“There is nothing like seeing that a couple has communication problems, they improve; or how a student with anxiety or concentration problems manages to pass their exams; someone with work situations and can recover that stability and become proficient in their work once more; artists blocked, seeing how they make their art once more. There are so many examples that fill me with pride and satisfaction, for the effort I make and for that made by my patients,” he said.
Advice for your future colleagues
“The advice I can give them is that they feel that they can contribute, everything else we acquire along the way. We educate ourselves, technology improves, but the most important thing is that the health professional, not just the psychiatrist, but anyone, has that sensitivity to listen and observe what that patient gives us. We cannot be in a hurry with mental health, each person has their challenges, fears, limitations, we need to have empathy, once that is there, we can work on everything else,” he concluded.
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