About Medication Management
Our Medication Management Services are designed to complement your therapy journey, ensuring that you receive the comprehensive, holistic care you need. At Purple Sky Counseling, we understand that medication management is a crucial aspect of your overall mental health and well-being.
Psychiatric medications influence the brain chemicals that regulate emotions and thought patterns. Some symptoms and/or disorders benefit from a combination of psychiatric medicine and therapy. In a lot of cases, medication can decrease symptoms like a loss of energy and inability to concentrate, which allows talk therapy and coping skills more effective.
Individuals have different needs and varying reactions to prescribed drugs, which is where our medication management team comes in. Our goal is to find the right combination of medications or holistic approaches that work for you and your system today.
Learn more about the different types of mental health medication below.
Megan Manning MSN, PMHNP-BC
Specializies in Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Obsessions, Mood Instability, Psychosis, LGBTQIA+ friendly and trauma-informed
Meet Megan
I am a Licensed Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). I received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Weber State University in 2013, and a Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Colorado in 2017. I am a certified designated examiner by the state of Utah and have received continued certifications in substance and MAT training from the state of Utah.
I have a total of 12 years of nursing experience and 6 years of experience in medication management for mental health treatment. I have worked in crisis stabilization, inpatient, and outpatient settings as a nurse practitioner and as a registered nurse. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, and adults who experience issues with anxiety, depression, trauma, obsessions, mood instability, psychosis and more. I am LGBTQIA+ friendly and trauma informed.
I enjoy spending many of my free moments keeping up on emerging evidence and learning about new treatments. I do believe that medications are most effective when used with therapy and other behavioral changes.
My favorite free time is when I am with my 2 kids, spouse and 2 dogs, often camping, kayaking or golfing.
What if I don’t want medication? Megan comes from a client focused approach and holistic perspective. Together, you will explore non-medication options. There are lots of ways to support your needs and using holistic approaches that don’t include medication is a valid choice for many. Megan will help you figure out what actually works best for you based on your current needs.
(Information below obtained from https://www.nimh.nih.gov)
- Antidepressants are medications commonly used to treat depression.
- Antidepressants are also used for other health conditions, such as anxiety, pain and insomnia.
- Although antidepressants are not FDA-approved specifically to treat ADHD, antidepressants are sometimes used to treat ADHD in adults.
- Commonly prescribed types of antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs).
- Anti-anxiety medications help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, such as panic attacks, or extreme fear and worry.
- In the case of panic disorder or social phobia (social anxiety disorder) antidepressants are first-line treatment. Other medications can be given to be used “as needed” for situations where anxiety only occurs on occasion or with certain situations.
- Benzodiazepines are another common type of anti-anxiety medications sometimes used to treat generalized anxiety disorder.
- Health care providers may also prescribe beta-blockers off-label to treat short-term symptoms
- As the name suggests, stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy.
- Stimulant medications are often prescribed to treat children, adolescents, or adults diagnosed with ADHD.
- Stimulants are also prescribed to treat other health conditions, including narcolepsy, and occasionally depression (especially in older or chronically medically ill people and in those who have not responded to other treatments).
- Antipsychotic medicines are primarily used to manage psychosis, a condition that involves some loss of contact with reality. People experiencing a psychotic episode often experience delusions (false beliefs or hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not really there).
- Psychosis can be related to drug use or a mental disorder such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression
- Antipsychotic medications are often used in combination with other medications to treat delirium, dementia, and mental health conditions, including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), severe depression, eating disorders, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
- Mood stabilizers work by decreasing abnormal activity in the brain and are also sometimes used to treat depression (usually along with an antidepressant), schizoaffective disorder, disorders of impulse control, and certain mental illnesses in children.
- Mood stabilizers are 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.
In addition to psychiatry medication, our team may explore supplemental vitamins and wellness approaches to support your needs.