Why some people call psychologists "Shrinks"?

It is normally the psychologists, not the psychiatrists, who are given the above name, or .. am I not correct?

 

Psychologists are therapists, they talk out the problems.

Psychiatrists are actually doctors who can prescribe medication.(Even though the field of psychiatry is basically a joke because pills are only a crutch when cognitive therapy works much much better and gets to the root of the problem. If you ask a psychiatrist this most will agree.)

 

Shrink is just used as a general or garbage bag term used for anyone in the counseling/therapy field. Having worked as a treatment team leader in a large mental hospital (20+ years) I can tell you with out doubt that medication is NOT a crutch for many types of mental illness. Depression responds exremely well to a combination of "talk" therapy and medication. Clinical schizophrenia can be best controlled by medication, talk therapy is of no value to someone who is floridly psychotic and hallucinating or delusional. Medication can mean the difference between life in an institution or a life in the community. Mental Illness is a horribly vicious disease and its treatment is complex. Never doubt that medication is a valuable part of treatment for many kinds of mental illness.

 

it's a combo term for either i believe. i used to always call my psychiatrist my shrink. *shrugs*