Struggling with mental health? A PCP can help.

HELLO from Civello

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month - the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves that mental health is a huge part of overall health and should be a priority for everyone.

If you or a loved one has been struggling, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Each year, 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition. Yet, as many as half of those people will not seek treatment due to stigma or lack of information about how to get help.

Did you know primary care providers can serve as your first line of defense against a mental health condition? Whether it be anxiety, panic, depression or grief, A PCP can help you navigate the best treatment plan for you.

Here’s why a relationship with a PCP can benefit your mental health:

• A PCP is familiar with your medical history and knows some of your family dynamics.
• A PCP will know the medications you are taking and how the medications for mental health can interact with them.
• Depression screenings at each visit allow a PCP to be proactive in diagnosis and treatment.

Start the conversation about how you’re feeling with your PCP – it’s the first step to getting help you need to feel better.

Each PCP will approach treatment differently. Many will diagnose, treat and create a follow-up care plan. Others may identify the issue and refer to specialists, like psychiatrists and therapists. Some, like my PCP as a young adult, recognized my issue as stress and wrote me a prescription for a movie, dinner and night out with my husband.

It’s ok to not be ok.

We all deal with stress at some point. Sometimes, we can use self-care tools and tips to help us get past a tough time. But when stress, anxiety or depression begin to affect your daily life, it’s time to talk with your PCP. Sometimes a neutral ear is all that is needed.

Interested in talking with a PCP about your mental health? Schedule a visit with a North Oaks primary care provider at (985) 236-0526 or click here.

Hello from Civello is a monthly wellness blog written by Michelle Civello, APRN, FNP-BC. Michelle is a family nurse practitioner with Northshore Internal Medicine Associates in Hammond, where she treats patients 4 years and older. In her practice, Michelle believes that open dialogue and individualized care are the best ways to motivate her patients and improve their health outcomes.

A veteran of the Louisiana Air National Guard, Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking care of her many four-legged friends, gardening, yoga, staying active and traveling. Get to know Michelle here.