Mental Health

Mental health disorders can have a devastating impact on your happiness and well-being. The Maltman Medical Center team in Knoxville, Tennessee, understands how critical mental health is. They offer compassionate care for patients of all ages affected by problems such as depression, substance use disorder, and anxiety. Call Maltman Medical Center or request an in-person or telehealth appointment online today to access knowledgeable mental health diagnoses and treatments.

What is mental health?

Mental health describes a person’s emotional and psychological well-being. Your mind’s function is just as vital as your physical health, and the two are closely linked.

Poor mental health increases your risk of physical ailments and problems like weight gain, nutrient deficiencies, and substance misuse. Physical issues like chronic pain and serious diseases like cancer and heart failure can affect your mental health.

What mental health problems might affect me?

The most common problems in the United States are depression and anxiety. Depression causes a continual low mood that makes life joyless and distressing. Anxiety makes you feel on edge all the time, constantly worried, stressed, and afraid.

Other mental health disorders that affect significant numbers of people include:

• Bipolar disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Social anxiety disorder
• Substance use disorder

Mental health experts also diagnose and treat patients with behavioral and developmental problems, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Sometimes people don’t have a specific disorder but still need support and treatment. Life transitions and traumas are usually responsible, such as losing a loved one, relationship difficulties, relocating, and job loss.

The Maltman Medical Center team offers compassionate diagnoses and treatments for patients experiencing mental health disorder symptoms.

How are mental health conditions treated?

Treating mental health problems successfully requires a combination of approaches. First, it’s vital to determine whether underlying medical issues affect your mental health. Depression and anxiety are frequent symptoms of hormonal imbalances, such as menopause, and conditions like hypothyroidism.

Your Maltman Medical Center provider reviews your medical history and may order tests to determine if you have these conditions. Treating them and managing incurable ones can make a significant difference to your mental health.

Medications often play a vital role in mental health treatments. Common medicines include varying types of antidepressants, stimulants, anti-anxiety medication, and specialized drugs like mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medicines.  

Therapy comes in various forms, each designed to help with certain aspects of poor mental health and suit patients’ individual needs. Talk therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which enables you to improve your thinking skills and manage daily challenges. Other methods, like individual psychotherapy, address the underlying issues triggering your mental health problems.

Call Maltman Medical Center or request a consultation online today to benefit from compassionate, respectful mental health care.