Medication management can be complicated, especially when you are taking several prescription drugs that treat different conditions. We engage with our patients and caregivers to create a complete and accurate medication strategy to address medication reconciliation and management issues including taking medications as directed and getting refills on time.

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Psychotherapy is an approach for treating mental health issues by talking with a psychologist/psychiatrist or a mental health provider. During psychotherapy, you learn about your specific issues and how your thoughts, emotions and behaviors affect your moods. The therapy helps you learn how to take control of your life and respond to challenging situations with healthy coping skills.

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Autism spectrum disorder is a brain development condition that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior.  Autism spectrum disorder begins in early childhood, show symptoms within the first year and through a period of regression causes problems functioning in society when they develop autism symptoms.

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Depression is a mental health condition that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships with others.

For people with depression, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless, anger, poor performance, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

Depression may require long-term treatment. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both.

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Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition characterized by feelings of anxiety, worry, fear or nervous that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily or social activities.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

It’s normal to feel anxious from time to time, especially if your life is stressful. However, excessive, ongoing anxiety and worry that are difficult to control and interfere with day-to-day activities may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder can be developed as a child or an adult; and, the symptoms are similar to panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other types of anxiety, but they’re all different conditions.

Living with generalized anxiety disorder can be a long-term challenge. In some cases, it occurs along with other anxiety or mood disorders. In most cases, generalized anxiety disorder improves with psychotherapy or medications. Making lifestyle changes, learning coping skills and using relaxation techniques also can help.

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

It’s normal to feel nervous in some social situations. For instance, going on a date or giving a presentation may cause some anxiety feeling. In social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, everyday interactions cause significant anxiety, self-consciousness and embarrassment because you fear being scrutinized or judged negatively by others. Also, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance that can disrupt your life. Severe stress can affect your relationships, daily routines, work, school or other activities.

Social anxiety disorder can be a chronic mental health condition, but learning coping skills in psychotherapy and taking medications can help you gain confidence and improve your ability to interact with others.

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Mood disorder conditions have two major groups: depressive disorders and bipolar disorders, affect people emotionally. You may constantly feel sad or may be anxious. If you have bipolar disorder, you’ll likely have extreme mood swings ranging from being very sad, empty to being very happy.

Depressive Disorder

Depressive disorders cause loss of pleasure in most or all activities and ultimately affect your quality of life. You could have less energy, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, changes in appetite and lack interest. You also could have feelings of worthlessness or guilt and be in pain and tired. When you are depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, formerly named manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings ranging from emotional highs (mania or hypomania episode) to lows (depression episodes). When depressed, you feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania, you feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly. Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year.

You can manage mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan, medications, and psychological counseling (psychotherapy).

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) condition that emphasizes a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions which may lead you to do repetitive behaviors, called compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions get in the way of daily activities and cause a lot of distress. Eventually, you feel irresistible and driven to do impulsive acts to ease your stress even if you try to ignore the thoughts or urges.

OCD Obsessions

OCD obsessions are lasting and unwanted thoughts that keeping coming back or urges or images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. These obsessions usually intrude when you’re trying to do other things; you might try to ignore or get rid of them by acting based on ritual behavior. Obsessions have themes, such as: fear of contamination or dirt, having a hard time dealing with uncertainty, horrific thoughts about losing control and harming self or others.

OCD Compulsions

OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to do. These repetitive behaviors are meant to reduce anxiety related to your obsessions or prevent something bad from happening. Compulsion brings no pleasure and may offer only limited relief to you from anxiety. You may create rituals to follow that help control anxiety; but these compulsions are beyond reason and often don’t relate to the issue they’re intended to fix. Compulsions also have themes, such as: repeatedly washing and cleaning, counting, following a strict routine, and demanding reassurance.

If you have OCD, you may be ashamed, embarrassed and frustrated about the condition; but condition and improve with medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy).

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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition that includes difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Symptoms start in early childhood and progress into adulthood. In some cases, ADHD is not recognized or diagnosed until the person is an adult. ADHD can create significant problems at home, could lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem, and other problems.

Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children. Treatment for adult ADHD is similar to childhood ADHD. ADHD treatment includes medications, psychological counseling (psychotherapy).

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event you either experienced or witnessed. PTSD may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event, causing significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships.

PTSD symptoms may start within one month of a traumatic event; sometimes symptoms may not appear until years after the event. Symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve your PTSD conditions.

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Substance use disorder, also called drug addiction, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations. For some people, the drug use becomes more frequent and for others, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines or get them from others who have prescriptions.

As your drug use increases, attempts to stop drug use may cause intense cravings and make you feel physically ill. These are called withdrawal symptoms. Addiction behaviors include a feeling to use the drug regularly, loss interest in responsibilities, cutting back on social or recreational activities. Help from your health care provider, family, friends, support groups or an organized treatment program can help you overcome your drug addiction and stay drug-free.

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