Addiction Psychiatry at Jeremy Frank and Associates

Addiction psychiatry and medication management is an important part of anyone’s treatment at Jeremy Frank and Associates. Approximately, over one-half of all patients diagnosed with a real substance use disorder will meet the criteria for another mental health diagnosis. A significant part of dual diagnosis treatment may be the use of psychiatry and/or physician medication management. We’re very conservative with referring to psychiatrists in our practice and choose carefully when collaborating with psychiatrists and physicians who prescribe medication for people struggling with alcohol or drug use.

We seek to work closely in collaborating with these doctors in treating our psychotherapy clients. Close to one-third of our patients may see a psychiatrist for mental health or substance abuse concerns and will receive a form of medication management. The psychiatrists that we will be referring to are trained and trusted to be particularly careful about avoiding over-medicating, and they’re knowledgeable in treating underlying mental health illness, in general, and addictive disorders, specifically.

Overall, an addiction psychiatrist will be knowledgeable with regards to prescribing medications which are non-addictive, non-habit-forming, and won’t create additional issues, problems, or excessive side effects. This should not be confused with normal side effects which may develop as a result of taking normally prescribed medication. In fact, the term “dependence” is a normal medical term which refers to one’s body adjusting to prescribed medication and building some tolerance and possible withdrawal.

However, it isn’t the same thing as addiction. While this can be confusing and complicated, it’s crucial to ask questions of your therapist and psychiatrist when consulting with a physician for medication management with psychotropic drugs. The addiction psychiatrists that we refer to are credentialed to be able to prescribe Suboxone, Naltrexone, and Vivitrol (which can be offered in both shot format and implant form) to aid in cravings and maintenance.

Addiction psychiatrists have recently become a more key member in traditional substance abuse treatment. Typically, they have been trained to coordinate, provide consultation, and assist in triage care with community resources, especially here in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. They can be found throughout the healthcare field and in various differing specialties including, but not limited to, clinical medicine, public health, education, and research. We will gladly reach out to the psychiatrist or physician with whom you’re already currently working.

We also have several contacts with local psychiatrists in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery County and are happy to refer you to one who we believe might best meet your addiction psychiatry needs. Some are more willing to prescribe medications for ADHD or anxiety and some are more conservative with prescribing those medications. Some have tolerance for harm reduction like mild alcohol use or use of marijuana and some will not prescribe at all if people are continuing to use even “lighter” drugs of abuse. Below is a partial list of local psychiatrists we use.

Addiction Psychiatrists and Physicians Providing Medication Assisted Therapy

The following listed are folks we have had a successful relationship with collaboration and medication management in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery Counties.

  • Aviva Fohrer, MD
    335 West Lancaster Ave. Bld D
    Haverford, PA 19041
    (610) 455-4254
    www.thaliamedical.com
  • Tom Riordan, MD
    Bryn Mawr
    (610) 565-1244
  • Roger Cambor MD
    (720) 470-3802
    835 West Lancaster Ave, Suite 200
    Bryn Mawr, PA
    www.rogercambormd.com
  • Robert Benjamin MD
    12 Mayo Place
    Dresher, PA 19025
    www.lynnbenjamin.com
    (215) 643-6425
  • Michael Ascher, MD
    Clinical Associate in Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
    191 Presidential Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
    (646) 812-1421
    www.AscherMD.com
  • Neal Shore MD
    1062 Lancaster Avenue
    Bryn Mawr, PA
    610-527-4080
    drnshore@gmail.com
  • Dick Limoges, DLFAPA MD
    (215) 627-5650
    St. Regis Court, Suite 1-B
    822 Pine St Suite 1B 19107-6187
    limoges@alumni.princeton.edu
  • Chuck Giannasio MD
    Bluebell, PA
    (215) 576-6548
  • Lester N. Fogelsanger MD
    (215) 760-4461
  • Herbert Avart MD
    (610) 356-6250

For Vivitrol Naltrexone shot:

Check out this TEDx talk from Claudia Christian on how she overcame alcoholism. In the video, she also discusses Naltrexone and the Sinclair method of psychiatric medication for alcoholism.