Medications

First Step Community Recovery Center, is affiliated with Horizon Healthcare, Inc. (“Horizon”), a provider network of Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers, Psychiatrists, Addictionologists, and Physician Assistants who are experienced in the administration and management of psychotropic medications. Horizon has agreed to assess and provide psychotropic medications to First Step Community Recovery Center clients who need may need the medicines.

At First Step Community Recovery Center, all clients are provided consultative and educational services by a registered pharmacist or a healthcare professional with a Master’s degree in pharmacology and toxicology in order to help them get the best results from medications through enhancing consumer understanding of medication therapy, increasing adherence to medications, and preventing drug complications, conflicts and interactions.*

*Staff: The above services are currently provided by:
Hazem Gammoh

- MS in Pharmacology and Toxicology
  Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CBRN) Certificate Program
  Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
- Bachelor of Science, Pharmacy
  University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

Effective medications exist for treating opioid, alcohol, and nicotine addiction and lessening the symptoms of many other mental disorders. Some medications may be useful in treating multiple disorders.

NIDA. 2021, April 13. What are the treatments for comorbid substance use disorder and mental health conditions? Retrieved May 2, 2021 from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/what-are-treatments-comorbid-substance-use-disorder-mental-health-conditions

In addition to psychotherapy (also called “talk therapy”) medications can play a critical role in treating certain mental disorders. These medications are capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior and are referred to as “psychotropic medications”. They include:

- Antidepressants – used to treat depression. The most popular types of antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
- Anti-Anxiety Medications – help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, such as panic attacks, or extreme fear and worry. The most common anti-anxiety medications are called benzodiazepines.
- Stimulants – stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, as well as elevate blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.
- Antipsychotics – medicines which are primarily used to manage psychosis. The word “psychosis” is used to describe conditions that affect the mind, and in which there has been some loss of contact with reality, often including delusions (false, fixed beliefs) or hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not really there).
- Mood Stabilizers – used primarily to treat bipolar disorder, mood swings associated with other mental disorders, and in some cases, to augment the effect of other medications used to treat depression.

Source – Edited and excerpted verbatim from – National Institutes of Mental Health – “Mental Health Medications” – accessed on 3.28.2021 from

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/mental-health-medications/index.shtml

Various prescription drugs