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Our lives have become so complex nowadays to the point where we become anxious about everything. This can have a negative impact on our lives as persistent anxiety can cause emotional distress, leading to the development of various anxiety disorders such as phobias and panic attacks. According to recent statistical reports, around 40 million adults in the U.S alone have anxiety disorders.

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Drinking alcohol in a moderate amount is not a problem. However, drinking excessively can cause health problems. In some cases, you may even require hospitalization. The NHS reveals that in 2018, 1.3 million people had to be hospitalized because of alcohol abuse. This counts as 7.4% of all hospital admissions throughout the country. The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions has increased by 60% in the last decade.

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The treatment for opioid use disorder combines medication-assisted treatment (MAT), opioid treatment programs, behavioral therapy, and medications.

MAT uses medications combined with behavioral therapies and counseling. It provides a comprehensive approach to treating substance use disorders and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to recent research, the combination of therapy and medication can successfully treat such diseases. It can reduce and prevent opioid overdose.

Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are used to treat opioid use disorders to short-acting opioids. These include codeine, heroin, morphine, and semi-synthetic opioids like hydrocodone and oxycodone.

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Prepare Yourself for Evaluation

A mental health evaluation gives us a clear picture of how you think, feel, and respond, helping to diagnose mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use disorder. It assesses your emotional well-being through a series of questions and also includes physical tests.

Before your mental health evaluation appointment, think about the reasons for the assessment. It is good to write down your thoughts and feelings throughout the days and weeks prior to your visit.

A mental health evaluation is an interview between you and our doctor, which includes these steps:

Authorization and Consent Forms

Suicide and Violence Risk Assessment

Interview and Written Questionnaire

Other Tests

Before the evaluation, we will ask you to sign a consent or authorization form to have your permission to:

Get medical records, medical history, medication history, and other details

Discuss treatment with your spouse and family members

We will ask questions, and use your clinical history to evaluate whether you need immediate assistance or psychiatric intervention and act accordingly.

During the interview and written questionnaire session, we will ask questions about your:

Current symptoms

Substance use and abuse

Present illness

Social history

Medical history

Family history

Psychiatric history

If required, we may refer you to a psychiatrist or other therapist for further assessment.

We may recommend:

A blood or urine test to determine the physical cause of mental disorder symptoms.

An MRI or CT scan if we suspect a nervous system disorder.

Aptitude and memory tests to learn about your cognitive function issues and disabilities.

If you are looking for a behavioral health clinic near you, contact Pinnacle Healthcare Services or today to schedule an appointment.

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When nicotine does enter your body, it breaks down into more than 20 different substances that include anabasine, nornicotine, and cotinine. These by-products are eventually excreted out of your body through urine. According to medical research, it can take over 2 weeks for a person’s blood to reach the same cotinine levels as someone as compared to someone who does not use tobacco. Also, the more you smoke, the longer it takes for nicotine to leave your body. The exact amount of time for the nicotine to clear varies from person to person.