Mental Health

Anything from traumatic experiences to your genes can affect your mental health. Highly skilled nurse practitioners Scott Lane, FNP-C, Sean Leonard, PMHNP-BC, and their team at NuGen Wellness Center in Boise, Idaho, offer expert care for patients with a wide variety of mental health problems. They can help you lead a better, happier life with their compassionate care. For exceptional mental health diagnosis and treatment, call the office or schedule a consultation online today.

What is mental health?

Mental health encompasses your thinking and emotional wellness. Problems with mental health can be just as significant as physical disorders, and the two often occur together.

Some mental health problems are physiological; for example, they develop when levels of certain brain chemicals are too low or people suffer brain damage. Psychological causes of mental health problems include emotional trauma and learned behaviors that affect your thought processes.

What mental health disorders could affect me?

Mental health disorders have many different forms. Some of the more widespread conditions the NuGen Wellness Center team diagnoses and treats include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Depression (major depressive disorder)
• Bipolar disorder
• Dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Personality disorders
• Eating disorders
• Substance use disorder (addiction)

In addition to mental health disorders, people inevitably face difficulties in their lives that result in emotional distress. Examples of experiences that can negatively affect your mental health include grief, relationship breakdowns, long-term health problems like cancer, and job loss. Chronic stress can also severely affect your mental and physical health.

What treatments help with mental health problems?

The NuGen Wellness Center team uses several approaches to treating mental health disorders, including:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is vital when treating mental health problems. The NuGen Wellness Center team uses varying techniques, depending on which is most suitable for your situation.

For example, during individual psychotherapy sessions, your therapist helps you uncover and process the issues underlying your mental health condition. Another popular method is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on identifying harmful thoughts, challenging them, and replacing them with healthier, more realistic ones.

Medication

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications restore balance to your brain chemicals. They can reduce severe symptoms, making therapy more effective.

Some people, especially those with mild disorders and those experiencing traumas like grief and job loss, recover well with psychotherapy. Others with moderate to severe conditions might also need medication.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

TMS  is an innovative treatment with FDA approval for treatment-resistant depression. If medication and therapy aren’t helping you feel better, the NuGen Wellness Center team offers personalized repetitive TMS. This treatment uses magnetic energy to restore better brain function in the areas responsible for mood.

Call the NuGen Wellness Center office or book an appointment online today to benefit from expert mental health care delivered with care and compassion.