• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health | Inpatient Rehab & Mental Health Facility in Florida Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

ContactCareers

Call for Immediate Help (833) 596-3502

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • The Health and Wellness Center at FHE Health
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Opportunities
          • Community Impact Award
          • First Responder Families Podcast
          • First Responder Paws
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Rehab
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof FHE Health(First Responders)
          • Compass Program
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
          • Family Support
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Massage
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • Neurofeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • FHE Podcasts
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • Our Research Articles
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact
  •  
Home > Experience Blog > Expert Columns > Expert Opinion: Can Medication Help Me Through a Crisis?

January 3, 2023 By Kristina Robb-Dover

Expert Opinion: Can Medication Help Me Through a Crisis?

Expert Voices: Can Medication Be a Key Player in Crisis Management?

This article has been reviewed for accuracy by our peer review team which includes clinicians and medical professionals. Learn more about our peer review process.

A crisis is any event or accumulation of events that causes inner turmoil and challenges a person’s life coping skills. Whether it’s an earth-shattering, traumatic experience or a time of intense life challenges and difficulties, a crisis can shake anyone to their core, calling into question their sense of meaning and purpose.

Not surprisingly, a crisis can also impact a person’s mental health. In fact, symptoms like insomnia and anxiety are often the first signs that a crisis is impacting health. This is when many people wonder whether medication might help them manage these symptoms and help them through a crisis— or, whether a doctor would prescribe them medication in their situation. Then there are those who may not be aware that medication is even an option.

FHE Health Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Muhummad Nawaz, PMHNP-BC, MPH, has intimate familiarity with these sorts of questions and concerns, having triaged many of them. He is responsible for psychiatric evaluations and psychiatric medication management in our detox and treatment programs and spends most of his time working in acute inpatient care.

In a recent interview, Nawaz drew from his extensive background as a psychiatric nurse in a wide array of settings, (inpatient hospitals, outpatient practices, medical detox units, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities), to share some helpful insights for those who may be in crisis and wondering about medication.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, dial “988” or go to your nearest emergency room.

Medicating People in Crisis – What Has Changed Since Earlier Periods?

Many of us have probably heard stories from earlier times or previous centuries when people received such terrible news or endured such catastrophes that they became hysterical and had to be sedated for days. “What’s different about how we treat those in crisis today?” we asked Nawaz. He acknowledged that “in cases of crisis in old times the medications were for sedation, such as opium and barbiturates.” The difference between then and now is that:

In the past, mental illness was often stigmatized, and people with mental health conditions may have faced discrimination. Today, there is greater acceptance of mental health treatment. We now better understand the causes of various mental health conditions and how they can be treated effectively. We try to understand how the client perceives the crisis and how it’s affecting their life. We also try to help the client develop greater resilience, with the use of techniques for handling the crisis.

Medications help the client so that he/she does not feel overwhelmed by emotions. When someone is experiencing intense emotions, it can be difficult for them to think clearly or make decisions.

Meanwhile, “through therapy, a person can feel the sadness and mourn the loss but not shut down.”

What’s the biggest difference between medicating people in crisis today versus years ago? It’s that “in the past, opium or barbiturates were used more frequently with significant side effects; however, there have been significant advances in our understanding of brain dysfunction in mental illness. New psychotropic medications are more effective with less likelihood of side effects.”

What Changes Explain These Differences in Treating People in Crisis?

Nawaz pointed to two “big changes” that help to explain these differences in how we treat and medicate people in crisis:

Less stigma and stigmatization – “In the past, there was much more stigma with mental illness as medical conditions often have visible physical symptoms, such as a rash or a broken bone, which may make them more tangible and easier for others to understand. In contrast, mental health conditions may not have visible symptoms, making them harder for others to understand and more difficult to accept., however, now with advancement in our understanding of mental illness, there is less stigma and more acceptance of mental illness.

Much more knowledge about brain function – “Thanks to progress in biology, we know about the underlying mechanisms of the brain through functional MRIs and PET scans. These technologies allow us to tangibly evaluate the brain and see how the brain of a healthy person is different from the brain of a person in crisis.”

Crises That Cause People to Become Hysterical or Severely Anxious/Depressed to So That They Need Medication?

“Crisis is subjective.” That theme emerges more than once in our conversation with Nawaz. By that, he means that two people with very different histories can experience the very same mental health effects. As an illustration, Nawaz used the example of someone returning from the Vietnam War, comparing their crisis to that of someone who may have been bullied extensively at school and home. “Over time, the latter trauma of bullying can be equal or worse than the trauma of war, in terms of the mental health impact it can cause.”

Nawaz was also quick to point out that “even a ‘small’ trauma can be as impactful as a crisis, so you can’t say that someone’s trauma is less than another person’s trauma … If it’s affecting the quality of life, that’s really it. Pain and crisis are subjective.”

When to Intervene if Someone You Love Is in Crisis

This last point about quality of life is important. It helps to answer the question of when to intervene if someone you love is in crisis. Nawaz puts it simply: “When a person’s quality of life is impacted, there should be a need for therapy and medications.” He again used the metaphor of allergies, cough, or an injured leg. Just as you wouldn’t wait 10 years before treating one of these conditions, he said, it is crucial to seek help promptly for mental health symptoms.

What to Know About Acute Moments of Crisis and When Medication Is Prescribed

In acute moments of crisis, Nawaz emphasized the importance of not underestimating the potential impact of witnessing traumatic events:

Mirror neurons are special brain cells that help us to imitate and understand the actions, intentions, and emotions of other people. They were first discovered in monkeys and are thought to be important for social interaction and learning. When we see someone doing something or feeling a certain emotion, our mirror neurons may become active and help us to understand what they are doing or feeling. This might also make us feel the same way.

There is further evidence to suggest that mirror neurons may contribute to the development of emotional distress in certain circumstances.

For example, if a person is exposed to repeated or prolonged exposure to negative or traumatic experiences, their mirror neurons may become “overloaded” and start to amplify their emotional response to these experiences. This can lead to the development of negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and depression.

Mirror neurons may also be involved in the process of rumination, which is when a person becomes stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions. Rumination is a risk factor for the development of depression and other mental health conditions.

Sometimes those feelings can be as overwhelming for the person witnessing a crisis as they are for the person experiencing the crisis.

With respect to when medication may be the next right step, Nawaz recommended consulting a psychiatrist and letting them answer that question. That is because people in crisis often may not realize they need help or medication.

The bottom line: “Many people who struggle with mental health difficulties may not realize that they need help or may resist seeking it out. Whether it’s due to a lack of awareness, stigma, denial, or a lack of access to care, this can be a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.”

Advice for Someone Struggling with Anxiety and Depression and Unsure About Medication

“People with mental illness can take a number of steps to manage their symptoms and improve their overall wellbeing,” Nawaz said. “Seeking treatment, practicing self-care, building a support network, managing stress, and learning about your condition can all be helpful in managing mental health. It is important to work with a mental health professional to determine the most appropriate treatment plan and to remember that recovery is a journey and that it is normal to have ups and downs along the way.”

Nawaz also emphasized the hope that groundbreaking advances in brain technologies and techniques represent. He was speaking from experience about how neurorehabilitation services have boosted treatment outcomes at FHE.

“At FHE, we’ve helped many clients in their journey, through psychiatric medications, individual and group therapies, and neurostimulation, biofeedback, and other neurorehabilitative treatments,” he said.

Wondering whether medication might help you through a crisis? Our counselors are available 24/7 to offer resources and support.

Filed Under: Expert Columns, Featured in Experts

More Questions about Treatment?

More Questions about Treatment?

We offer 100% confidential and individualized treatment

Contact Us

About Kristina Robb-Dover

Kristina Robb-Dover is a content manager and writer with extensive editing and writing experience... read more

Primary Sidebar

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles
Contact Us
  • Call Now:
  • Best Time to Call:

Footer

FHE Health

© 2025 FHE Health

505 S Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-833-596-3502
youtube facebook instagram linkedin twitter
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • AI Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

Copyright © 2025 · FHE Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

833-596-3502

Text/Call Me