Maryland Primary Care Physicians Address Current Mental Health Issues

 

Edgewater, MD– October 8, 2020 – Health Releaf is offering primary care services in Edgewater, MD. The staff there are compassionate and truly care for their patients; and the providers work in collaboration with each other to ensure that their patients are provided with the highest quality of care.  The providers located in Edgewater focus on treating substance abuse, pain management, primary care, and a range of other services.

 

A patient’s primary care provider is their pathway into the health care center and is essential to the individual’s ability to access all healthcare services. Primary Care Providers (PCPs) promote health, education, treatment, and much more.  They are critical “essential” workers in today’s world. 

 

It is no secret that COVID-19 has impacted millions of lives physically, financially and mentally in the year 2020; and since September is Mental Health Awareness month, it is important to bring awareness to the spike in mental health conditions due to the current pandemic. Depressions and anxiety have been among the top newly diagnosed mental health conditions since COVID plagued our nation. There are a range of symptoms caused by anxiety and depression and may include feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and misery to severe panic attacks.other symptoms include a lack of appetite, irritability, impaired focus/concentration and suicidal thoughts.

 

Another common mental health problem is substance abuse, which is sometimes used to treat other undiagnosed or untreated medical conditions.  Substance Abuse, however, is its mental health diagnosis and should be treated separately and in combination with co-morbid conditions.  Many know that there is an ongoing Opioid epidemic.  What they do not know is how difficult it is to cease opioid use.   Many individuals that have become addicted to opioids did so from prescriptions from doctors.  Almost everyone has taken an opioid at one time or another.  Whether it was after a surgery or injury; there was a time when opioids were the go-to pain medication and they were promoted as non-addictive.  Opioids are highly addictive. 

 

Other mental health conditions include substance and alcohol abuse. Treatment and care for these conditions vary and should be customized based on the substance of abuse, an individual’s willingness for treatment, pre-existing mental and/or physical conditions, environment, access to treatment and community resources. Health Releaf offers substance abuse treatment and works in collaboration with other disciplines in treatment to create the best plan of care for each patient. Your plan matters and is usually what gets you through the journey of recovery. 

 

Chronic pain is another commonly treated medical condition by our Health Releaf providers. If left untreated, chronic pain can lead to symptoms of anxiety,depression and even insomnia. Many primary care physicians and healthcare providers are hesitant and/or have moved away from treating chronic pain with controlled substances such as opioids given the current opioid crisis in our nation and the risk of losing their medical license. Patients are also hesitant to take opioids for chronic pain treatment due to the stigmas associated with pain medication. When left untreated, chronic pain can cause detrimental physical and/or mental disturbances drastically impacting an individual’s quality of life. Our staff at Health Releaf are experienced in treating and managing chronic pain in a comfortable and judgment free environment.

 

For information about services offered at Health Releaf Primary Care Physicians in Edgewater, contact us at (301) 804-0344 or visit https://healthreleaf.org/primary-care-services-edgewater-maryland/ today!