About 20% of adults in the United States struggle with a mental health condition every year. This struggle affects how they think and feel and manage their day-to-day routine. Pete Lerza, NP, is a family nurse practitioner in Cambridge, Maryland, who provides medication and monitoring for patients with mental health concerns. In some cases, he uses GeneSight® to help his patients quickly get on the proper drugs. Call the office today or schedule an in-office or telemedicine appointment online to learn more about mental health management.
Mental health is your psychological and emotional well-being, influencing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It also affects how you handle stress and interact with others.
Your mental health is a vital part of your general well-being. When you have mental health problems, you can have a hard time keeping up with your daily responsibilities. Mental health problems are common and treatable.
Pete provides medication and monitoring for his patients struggling with mental health problems.
You should get professional help for your mental health if you notice changes in your mood or behavior that affects how you live your life. Warning signs of mental health problems include:
Recognizing something is wrong and getting help right away can help you feel better sooner.
Pete conducts a thorough evaluation when you come in seeking help for a mental health problem. He asks detailed questions about your symptoms and when they started. He reviews your mental and physical health history and might complete a psychological test to assess your emotional state.
Pete completes a physical exam and runs lab work to rule out an underlying medical condition that might explain your mental health symptoms.
Pete provides psychiatric medication for his patients with mental health problems. He may use GeneSight to help determine what medication might work best for you.
GeneSight is a genetic test from Assurex Health Inc. It’s used to determine psychiatric medication. Your genes affect how your body metabolizes and responds to medication. Pete uses the data from GeneSight to make sure you get on the proper medicine from the start.
Pete carefully monitors your mental health symptoms and provides ongoing support and care. He refers patients to mental health experts when appropriate, including an on-site psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Mental health concerns are common and treatable, so there’s no need to suffer. Call Pete Lerza, NP, today or schedule an evaluation online to get support for your mental health.