Psychiatry in Metro Manila

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. A medical doctor who specializes in this branch of medicine is called a psychiatrist and they can assess both the physical and mental aspects of all psychological issues. Psychiatrists are trained and qualified to:

• Make a diagnosis and develop a management plan
• Provide urgent care for a sudden mental illness
• Provide advice about lifestyle changes
• Provide advice and second opinions to other doctors and medical professionals
• Help manage a long-term mental health problem
• Work with patients individually, or with the patient and patient’s family, partner, or carers
• Refer patients to other medical professionals
• Admit patients to hospital if required
• Prescribe medications, such as antidepressants, stimulants, and mood stabilizers
• Perform procedures.

There are numerous procedures psychiatrists can use to diagnose and treat patients, these include, but are not limited to:

• Psychometric testing, including personality tests, intelligence tests, and neuropsychological tests
• Physical and laboratory testing, including full physical exams, neurological evaluations, laboratory tests (such as blood and urine tests), and neuroimaging techniques
• Psychotherapy
• Psychosocial interventions
• Electroconvulsive therapy.

Some common reasons why someone might see a psychiatrist include:

• Problem adjusting after major life changes
• Depression that does not go away
• Anxiety, fear, or worry
• Suicidal thinking
• Hurting themselves on purpose
• Thoughts of hurting other people
• Obsessional thinking
• Constant negative thoughts
• Feeling like people want to harm them or are after them
• Feeling jumpy or on edge
• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Addictive behaviors
• Memory problems
• Violence or emotional outburst
• Conditions that start in childhood, such as intellectual disability, autism, and childhood anxiety.

Examples of the mental health conditions that psychiatrists can diagnose and treat include anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia.

How Long Should I Stay in Metro Manila?

Psychiatric treatments are typically performed on an outpatient basis, meaning you should be able to leave the clinic or hospital immediately after the procedure, and leave Metro Manila the day after. If hospitalization is required, the average hospital stay is around 1 to 2 weeks. Since psychiatric treatment usually requires more than one appointment, you can choose to stay in Metro Manila for the whole treatment plan or to make multiple trips.

What's the Expected Recovery Time?

Recovery from a mental health problem depends on your specific condition and the type of treatment you underwent. However, there is usually no recovery time needed after the psychiatric treatment itself. You can go back to your normal routine immediately. It is normal to feel overwhelmed or emotionally drained after a treatment session, so you can take a day off of work after your treatment if you need to.

What Aftercare is Required?

If your psychiatrist prescribes medications, make sure to take it as directed. Your psychiatrist may also advise you on making lifestyle changes. You may need to attend regular checkups with your psychiatrist, ranging from once a week to twice a year, depending on your specific condition and its severity. 

What's the Success Rate?

Psychiatry continues to develop and advance. A better understanding of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, as well as new technology, have helped psychiatrists to become better at diagnosing, preventing, treating, and managing mental health conditions. The quality of life of people with a mental health condition who go to psychiatrists and stick to their treatment plans have been proven to improve. While there is typically no serious risks to psychiatry treatment, it does have some side effects, such as feeling overwhelmed or emotional after treatment. 

Are there Alternatives?

In some cases, you should be able to see other mental health professionals, such as clinical psychologists and mental health counselors. 

Psychiatry in and around Metro Manila

About Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines and is divided into 16 districts; it is one of the densest and populated cities of the world. Each district has its own history and cultural legacy. The city was under the rule of Spanish conquerors for almost three centuries. You can see the remains of that era in the ruins of the historical buildings. Today, the City is very modern with tall skyscrapers and modern architecture.

The Philippines is developing into one of the top countries in the world for medical tourism. Approximately 15 million people globally travel to other countries in search of quality medical care at affordable prices. Manila is a favorite destination due to the following reasons:

• It provides state-of-the-art procedures at affordable prices.
• With excellent infrastructure, the City can handle the large numbers of foreigners who visit Manila.
• The Hospital and clinic staff are very competent, friendly, and educated and have a good knowledge of English to communicate with their patients.  
• The doctors are very well-qualified and hold international certifications.
• The city has a reputation in providing excellent post-surgical care by the nurses and physiotherapists.
• The Medical Industry provides many alternative therapies at some of the best spa resorts. You can combine a surgical procedure with alternative healing therapies at the same time.

Popular Areas in Manila

Manila Bay has many tourist spots and you will find many monuments that depict the Spanish occupation of the country. There are many Baroque Colonial Churches that will enable you to appreciate the artistic designs.

The National Museum of the Philippines, Bahay Chinoy, the National Art Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila are some of the popular museums that you must visit in Manila. Rizal Park also known as Luneta is a historical urban park that is worth visiting.

There are also many organized tours that can help you get the best out of your sightseeing, for example, the Intramuros Tour, Rizal Park Tour, or the Skyscraper Gazing Tour and more.

Manila is a very modern contemporary city as the historical buildings have been replaced by modern architecture with better planning and layout and the buildings are earthquake resistant.

The city has many cultural and religious festivals throughout the year. There are plenty of shops, both big and small where you can buy branded goods at affordable prices.

Weather and Climate in Manila

The Philippines is a tropical country and in Manila, you will not experience too much temperature variations. January is the coolest month while May is the warmest month. The average temperature remains between 14°C and 38°C. The rainy season is between May and November. The rest of the months are dry. Manila is a humid city and bad weather such as Typhoons may occur during the months of June and September.

Getting around in Manila

People traveling from nearby countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia can use the City’s sea entry points. For all other passengers, the best option is to take the air route.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the City’s major international airport. It has four different terminals that connect via bus transfers. If you are taking a connecting flight, remember to keep some time as a buffer, as transfers may force you to travel through the busy streets of Manila. Terminal 1 caters to International flights and Philippine Airlines uses T2 and domestic carriers and international carriers use T3 with budget carriers largely using T4.

You can take a bus from the airport to the city. Taxis have meters and you can hail a cab outside the airport. Buses and small vans or jeepneys are popular modes of transport within the city.

Manila has three light rail systems and one heavy train line. The light rail systems are the LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3. You can also use the pedicabs and tricycles for shorter distances. In some areas, you can even find horse-driven carriages called calesa.

Tourist Visas in Manila

The visa process is not a very complex system as the Philippines has a visa waiver program for certain countries. All European nations, South American countries, and many others form part of this program. Citizens from these countries can stay in Manila for up to 30 days, whereas nationals from Brazil and Israel may stay in Manila for 59 days. Hong Kong, Macau, and Portugal residents can stay for 14 days without a visa. Tourists belonging to other countries need to apply for a visa to enter the Philippines, in the consulate in their respective countries.

You must also have a valid return ticket. Passport must also be valid for at least six months and beyond to stay in the country. Visa-exempt people may extend their stay by one or two months after which they will have to apply for a visa.

Additional Information

• The currency of the Philippines is Peso (symbol: ₱). It is strong in the world market and the usual exchange rate is 1 Dollar equals 50 Pesos. Dollars are easy to exchange compared to other currencies.
• Credit cards are acceptable in almost every place. The city also has many ATMs from where you can withdraw money without difficulty. However, ATMs will charge you a minimal exchange fee on foreign cards.
• Bargaining and negotiating are acceptable in most places and it can get you better deals.
• Restaurants may add a service charge of up to 10%. You can pay a cash tip of 5 to 10 %. People often round off the taxi fare.
• Manila is a city full of people who speak English proficiently. Filipino and English are the two official languages. Filipino is a variety of Tagalog, Austronesian languages.
• Hindu, Muslim, Buddhism, and Christian religions have left their mark on the Philippines at different periods. Today, a majority of the population is Roman Catholic.
• There are many public holidays in Manila. Some of the important ones are Christmas Eve, Christmas, Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan), Labor Day, New Year, and Good Friday, etc. The Independence Day falls on June 12th and Manila Day on 24th June.