Mental Health Disorders | ADHD | OCD | Depression | Sexual |Anxiety Treasure Valley

ABOUT US

Mental Health

Mental health encompasses your psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It is a critical part of your overall health and has a direct effect on every aspect of your life including your feelings, your actions, and your thoughts. It affects how you handle stress, how you interact with other people, and can affect your physical well- being as well. Roughly 59% of people who have a mental illness do not seek treatment! This is why it is important to seek help; mental illness is like any other disease (asthma, heart failure, broken leg)…you need treatment to get better!

Signs of mental health concerns:

Turning to drugs or alcohol to avoid negative thoughts or feelings
Relationship troubles
Decreased joy in activities you used to love
Unexplained aches and pains
Thoughts of self-harm or ending your life

Mental health issues can occur at any time in your life and at any age. Nearly 1 out of every 5 people has a mental health disorder…and that’s okay! It is okay to not be okay! There is treatment available. Most mental health disorders can be treated with medications, talk therapy, or a combination of both. Here at Treasure Valley Metabolic Medicine, we offer medication management with some talk therapy if needed. If more intensive therapy is needed, a referral can be sent to local therapists in the area. Alternatives including herbal supplements can also be discussed if desired. The idea is to be a partner in your journey to a better, healthier you! There is no “one size fits all” in mental health and we want to make sure you have the best experience by making sure your treatment plan fits into your lifestyle. We go over diagnoses, evidence-based treatment options, and discuss what works best for you! Call us today to make an appointment! We treat depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, and more!

ADHD/ADD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common issue affecting both children and adults. It often presents with issues focusing, distractibility, difficulty organizing, forgetfulness, fidgeting or inability to sit still, and struggling with school or with professional work.

Treatments are available and for a more complete diagnostic analysis, we can send you to our sister location for the only complete diagnostic testing available in Treasure Valley! You don’t need the official test to be diagnosed and we are able to treat with or without testing here at TVMM. Diagnosis includes a complete history with a discussion of treatment options.

Depression

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects more than 16.1 million American’s each year and is on a progressive incline. Depression can affect anyone despite their age, gender, race, economic background, or social status. Many people “mask” their symptoms and are able to hide how they really feel. Symptoms of depression can include:

Fatigue
Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt
Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much
Trouble concentrating
Difficulty making decisions
Eating too much or not eating enough

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of ending your life, please go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. You can also call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with someone live at 988lifeline.org.

Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and other anxiety disorders affect nearly 40 million American’s a year. It is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. There are multiple different diagnoses that fit under the anxiety umbrella. Anxiety causes emotional and physical distress and disrupts daily living. Symptoms of anxiety can include:

Nervousness, restlessness, or a feeling of being “on edge” all of the time
Rapid heart rate
Rapid breathing or hyperventilating
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Worrying about many things all of the time

There are many other symptoms that anxiety can cause both physical and emotional. If you feel you or someone you know has these symptoms, medication and therapy can help!

Sleep Disorders

Sleep is incredibly important as it is linked to many concerns including weight, hormone dysregulation, and mental health issues. Nearly 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorder issues including insomnia, sleep apnea, and others. It is normal to have some nights where you cannot sleep. However, if you are having more troubles, it might be time to seek treatment.

Disadvantages of Poor Sleep:

Signs of sleep concerns include:

Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Fatigue during the daytime
Wanting to take naps during the day
Irritability
Anxiety and/or depression
Inability to concentrate or focus
“Sleep attacks” – suddenly falling asleep without warning.

These are only a few of the signs of sleep disorders. If you feel you have any of these concerns, we can discuss treatment options both medication and changes at home!

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder is a condition in which there are moderate to severe mood swings that can range from manic/hypomanic (highs) to depressive (lows). These mood swings cause significant issues with activities of daily living and can cause strain on relationships. There is a belief that bipolar disorder has a genetic component, but anyone can be diagnosed with this disorder. Symptoms include:

Depressive Symptoms:

Feeling hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt
Fatigue
Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much
Eating too much or not eating enough
Turning to drugs or alcohol to avoid negative thoughts
Isolating
Loss of pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
Thoughts of self-harm or ending your life.

Manic/Hypomanic Symptoms:

Hyperactivity that gets you into trouble
Irritability that is more extreme than your normal
Grandiosity – feeling more self confident than normal
Decreased need for sleep
Rapid speech
Racing thoughts
Distractibility
Increased socializing more than your normal
Increased risk taking
Increased impulsivity
In some cases – psychosis

Different types of bipolar disorder include

Bipolar I Disorder

Extreme manic episodes that last 1 week or more and depressive episodes that last 2 weeks or more. Many people may need hospitalization with extreme mania.

Bipolar II Disorder

Hypomania (lasting at least 4 days) and depressive episodes (happens within 2-week period) that are not as severe as bipolar I disorder.

Cyclothymic Disorder

For at least 2 years (1 year in adolescents and children) there have been numerous periods of hypomania and depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for hypomanic or depressive episodes.

Treatment for bipolar disorder usually requires medication. Therapy is a good addition. There are many medication options available and there are herbal supplements as well as diet changes that can help improve moods. These can be discussed at your appointment!

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder characterized by getting caught up in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intense feelings that are distressing and anxiety inducing. Compulsions are behaviors that one performs to attempt to get rid of obsessive thoughts, images, or urges to decrease distress. Everyone has OCD tendencies but to have true OCD disorder, it must be so extreme that it consumes a lot of time, causes distress, and gets in the way of daily life.

Obsessions

Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that occur over and over again and feel outside of the person’s control. Most people who have these thoughts find them disturbing and do not wish to have them but have no control over when they occur. Examples of obsession in OCD include:

Contamination Obsessions

Fear of coming into contact with perceived contaminated substances/things, such as:

Responsibility Obsessions

Sexual Obsessions

Unwanted thoughts or mental images related to sex, including:

Identity Obsessions

Violent Obsessions

Perfectionism-related Obsessions

Excessive concern about evenness or exactness
Excessive concern with a need to know or remember
Fear of losing or forgetting important information when throwing something out
Excessive concern with performing tasks "perfectly" or "correctly"
Fear of making mistakes

Religious/Moral Obsessions (Scrupulosity)

Other Obsessions

Relationship-related obsessions (e.g. excessive concern about whether one’s partner is “the one," the partner’s flaws and qualities)
These types of obsessions can center around romantic partners, relatives, friends, and other relationships.
Obsessions about death/existence (e.g. excessive preoccupation with existential and philosophical themes, such as death, the universe, and one’s role in “the grand scheme.”
Real event/false memory obsessions (e.g. excessive concern about things that happened in the past and what impacts they may have had)
Emotional contamination obsessions (e.g. fear of "catching" personality traits or personal characteristics of other individuals)

Source: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/

Compulsions

Compulsions are the actions or repetitive behaviors or thoughts and individual uses to help decrease the stress and anxiety surrounding the obsession. They will do repetitive behaviors in hopes to rid themselves of the thoughts. Most people with OCD know it is a temporary fix but it helps them in the moment to be able to function for a period of time. Examples of compulsions include:

Washing and Cleaning

Repeating

Rereading or rewriting
Repeating routine activities (examples: going in or out doors, getting up or down from chairs)
Repeating body movements (example: tapping, touching, blinking)
Repeating activities in "multiples" (examples: doing a task three times because three is a "good," "right," "safe" number)

Other Compulsions

Checking

Checking that you did not/will not harm others
Checking that you did not/will not harm yourself
Checking that nothing terrible happened
Checking that you did not make a mistake
Checking some parts of your physical condition or body

Mental Compulsions

Mental review of events to prevent harm (to oneself others, to prevent terrible consequences)
Praying to prevent harm (to oneself others, to prevent terrible consequences)
Counting while performing a task to end on a "good," "right," or "safe" number
"Cancelling" or "Undoing" (example: replacing a "bad" word with a "good" word to cancel it out)

Source: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/

The best treatment for OCD includes medication and Exposure-Response-Prevention Therapy (ERP). Although I am certified in ERP, it is not my specialty. However, for moderate cases, we can do treatment and therapy for this disorder! If I feel I cannot treat you effectively, there is another provider in the area who I can refer you to, or we can discuss inpatient treatment options available to you if needed! Call today for an appointment!