Our practice provides welcoming, empathetic, and judgment-free care for patients living with mental illness. Many patients live with undiagnosed psychiatric illnesses; therefore, we screen patients diligently for conditions such as bipolar, ADHD, PTSD, pathological insomnia, schizophrenia, and substance dependence such as tobacco, food, and alcohol addiction. Often, on and off depression, procrastination, paranoia, and periods of overspending, irritability, increased talkativeness, and hypersexuality are symptoms of an underlying psychiatric illness. When left untreated, these psychiatric illnesses can lead to poor mental health, which can negatively affect physical health.
We believe that taking care of your mental health is critical to promoting good physical health. When we do not take good care of our mental health, we develop symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, depression, and fatigue. Many patients develop unhealthy ways of relieving these distressing symptoms, including smoking, excessive drinking, binge eating, overeating and consuming unhealthy “comfort foods” that are high in fat or sugar. This is known as “self-medicating.”
We do not believe in easy fixes when it comes to treating mental illness. Our goal is to help all patients achieve a level of wellness defined as control over overwhelming emotions, development of healthy stress management techniques, and discovery of meaning and enjoyment from life. Mental health visits are scheduled separately to ensure that patients are screened for commonly undiagnosed psychiatric illnesses. Sometimes, this involves partnering with specialists to conduct more advanced tests to increase the odds of finding the most accurate diagnosis. Once patients are diagnosed, we are willing to prescribe most psychiatric medications, including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and medications that treats anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia. We do not prescribe benzodiazepines for long-term use. Psychiatry manages any long-term use of benzodiazepines externally.
