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We treat the whole patient

Visit a Terros Health Care Clinic and you may not hear the phrase “whole health care,” but you’ll no doubt experience it. “Physical and mental health conditions used to be treated in silos, but this is starting to change,” said Robert Allen, M.D., Terros Health Primary Care Physician and Addictionologist. “At Terros Health, we have begun treating the ‘whole’ person and the outcomes have been promising.”

Terros Health physicians, nurses, patient navigators, counselors and other providers are gaining a reputation for successfully merging top-quality primary medical care with excellent recovery addiction services and exceptional mental health care. Also known as “integrative medicine,” whole health care the Terros Health way brings together patients and providers to focus on healing the mind and body.

“Changing our name from ‘Terros’ to ‘Terros Health’ was a significant milestone,” said Peggy Chase, Terros Health President and CEO. “Our new name better encompasses who we are now, as well as where we are going as an integrated, whole health care company caring for the minds and bodies of our patients.”

How do Terros Health patients experience whole health? The Terros Health team is specially trained to address what are called “co-occurring” conditions. This can mean a medical condition – such as high blood pressure, diabetes or a heart condition – that spirals out of control for someone who is involved in substance use or who has a mental health condition. Addressing both the medical issue and the substance use or mental health condition are essential to the individual’s whole health and healing.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 7.9 million adults in the United States had co-occurring disorders in 2014. Additionally, people with mental health disorders are more likely than people without mental health disorders to experience an alcohol or substance use disorder.

Co-occurring disorders are difficult to diagnose. Their symptoms can be complex and subtle with one disorder being more severe than the other. Often, people receive treatment for one disorder while the other goes untreated. This may happen because both mental health and substance use disorders can have biological, psychological and social components.

“For those suffering from addiction, finding integrated primary and mental health care – like Terros Health offers – has proven to be especially beneficial,” Dr. Allen said. “Primary care doctors can identify the signs of drug use and abuse in their early stages. This is significant given that approximately 40 million Americans are dealing with a milder form of drug use called ‘medically harmful substance abuse.’”