My name is Jamie Turner and when I turned 22, I started to form a horrible case of acne. I used every cleanser and lotion I could find and I even asked my physician for a topical steroid cream to clear up the zits on my face. After six months of treatment, my physician completed a blood test that concluded that a hormone imbalance was causing my acne. I started on therapy to control the amount of estrogen my body produced. The therapy along with a good diet and exercise regimen helped to clear up my acne. I am sharing my story, because acne is not just a condition that affects teenagers. It can affect adults at any age, and it can cause a great deal of embarrassment. Don't let your acne go untreated. Read my blog instead and learn about both natural and medical treatments that can help you.
It's normal to feel sad or exhausted every once and a while, but when it becomes your daily mode of living instead, there's a good chance you're suffering from clinical depression. It's true that psychiatrists and therapists specialize in the treatment of mental health concerns like depression, yet your family doctor also plays an important role in helping you manage this life altering condition. Learn why it's a great idea to get your family doctor more involved in the care of your depression.
Care Coordination
Your family doctor best serves the role of care coordinator when you're working with multiple specialists. By having all your charts, medication lists, and treatment plans at hand for every check up, your primary care provider can double check for contraindications and potential complications. It's all too easy for a simple communication breakdown or outdated chart to cause a problem between your depression treatment and other health conditions or medications. People with heart disease, high blood pressure, and other serious conditions should definitely have a doctor overseeing all of their care since many heart and blood pressure medications interact with anti-depressants and other medications prescribed by psychiatrists. Remember to tell your doctor about any herbal supplements, dietary aids, and other over the counter products you're taking to treat your symptoms on your own.
Routine Support
When you live in an area with limited mental health resources, you may end up traveling hours to see a psychiatrist and have your medication adjusted. By coordinating your care between the prescribing doctor and a more local family doctor, you can have changes authorized after a phone consultation to better adjust your treatment to your depression symptoms. Having someone close by that you can drop in and see within a day or two is important when you're dealing with a mental health condition like depression. Family doctors tend to offer longer hours and more weekend openings as well for immediate help.
Informed Referral
Don't know where to turn for therapy and psychiatric treatment? A family doctor is usually well connected with the rest of the local medical community. Getting a referral allows you to rely on the advice of a professional within the medical field instead of just picking a name from the phone book or choosing the first recommendation from your health insurance company. If a certain mental healthcare provider doesn't work out for you, your family doctor can help you find someone new based on what failed to match your needs.
Insurance Advice
Most but not all insurance companies offer mental health coverage, and many will only pay for your care and treatment if the care is recommended by your primary care physician. Establishing a record of your symptoms with the help and guidance of your family doctor is a great way to convince your insurer to approve your referral to a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist. Some doctors even specialize in advocating for patients who are negotiating with their insurance companies or with Medicaid to get the treatment they need.
Thorough Testing
Finally, family doctors are also equipped to test for potential underlying causes of depression that can be cured or at least treated over a long period of time with good results. For example, routine blood testing may reveal a thyroid imbalance, hormonal fluctuation, Vitamin B12 deficiency, or the early onset of lupus. All of these health conditions and more can cause depression as a symptom rather than as a separate ailment, and getting your health under control could relieve your depression symptoms or at least reduce them without any need for specific mental health treatments like therapy and anti-depressants.
Share21 March 2017
