Psychiatry
An Integrated Approach to Mental Health
EMH offers an interdisciplinary model of care, which includes a collaborative approach with other EMH providers, such as clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and the staff at our partner facilities. EMH psychiatrists utilize neuropsychological evaluations and clinical psychology reports to formulate a comprehensive care plan that targets the symptoms that are specific to each patient.
When is Psychiatry Needed?
Mental health disorders are real, common, and often treatable. The EMH psychiatry team of trained psychiatrists can work with you to clarify the symptoms that you are experiencing, which can manifest in the following ways:
Excessive fears, worries, and anxieties; delusions or hallucinations; suicidal thoughts
Depression, confused thinking, sadness or irritability, feelings of extreme highs and lows, strong feelings of anger
Social withdrawal, dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits; growing inability to cope with daily problems and activities; denial of obvious problems; numerous unexplained physical ailments; substance abuse
How We Can Help
Psychiatrists prescribe a variety of treatments – including, but not limited to, various forms of psychotherapy, medications, and psychosocial interventions, depending on the needs of each patient. Medication treatment approaches, which may be offered in combination with psychotherapy, can include but are not limited to, antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, hypnotics, sedatives and anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, or stimulants.
With regard to psychotropic medication, psychiatrists utilize them in much the same way that internists and other doctors might use medication(s) to treat high blood pressure or diabetes. Specifically, and after evaluating a patient, a psychiatrist may determine that psychotropic medication can assist in the remediation of mental health symptoms, e.g., depression, anxiety, irritability, and psychosis. The process of finding the medication(s) that is/are effective may require weeks or months and the trial(s) of single medications and/or combinations of medications. Our aim is to collaborate with you to identify an effective treatment approach that is tailored to you.
EMH psychiatry uses treatment approaches that adhere to gradual dose reduction (GDR) guidelines, which means we aim to reduce the dose of each medication and/or the number of medications that a patient takes. Patients who take medications over a longer duration of time will need to meet periodically with their psychiatrist to monitor the effectiveness of the medication and to determine if they are experiencing any potential side effects.
Get Started with Psychiatry
Contact us to see how EMH can support your mental health needs.