Built around demanding lives
Our patients include soldiers, guardians, cadets' families, Olympic hopefuls, teachers, and retirees. Medication management means regular check-ins with a provider who knows your history, adjusts doses, watches for side effects, and plans around training cycles, deployments, and moves.
Conditions we treat
Depression, anxiety and panic, PTSD symptoms and nightmares, sleep problems, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, and PMDD, for adults and teens 15 and older.
Medicine and duty status
Some medicines affect deployability, flight status, weapons qualification, or other duties. Active-duty patients should talk with their unit's medical team about any prescription, and your provider will explain each medicine clearly so that conversation goes smoothly.
Athletes and anti-doping rules
Athletes training in Colorado Springs may be tested under anti-doping rules. Stimulants are prohibited in competition without an approved exemption, and some other medicines raise questions. Tell your provider if you compete, so prescriptions and paperwork are handled correctly.
Altitude, dryness, and hydration
Thin, dry air at 6,000 feet pulls water from your body faster than you notice. Dehydration raises lithium levels and worsens side effects of several medicines. Carry water on Pikes Peak hikes and runs at Garden of the Gods, and call us if you feel shaky, nauseated, or confused.
Each check-in
Your provider asks about mood, sleep, nightmares, focus, appetite, and side effects, reviews new prescriptions, and repeats short scales to see whether things are improving.
Monitoring
Patients on lithium have scheduled blood levels plus kidney and thyroid checks. Valproate brings periodic liver tests. Some antipsychotics require weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol monitoring. Stimulants require blood pressure and pulse checks.
Colorado controlled-substance rules
Schedule II stimulants are filled one prescription at a time, and your provider checks Colorado's prescription drug monitoring program before each one.
Nightmares and sleep
Trauma-related nightmares are common here. Prazosin and other medicines can help, and better sleep often softens anger, anxiety, and poor focus.
Cannabis and alcohol
Colorado's legal cannabis and the city's brewery scene mean substance questions come up often. Both can affect sleep, mood, and medicine safety. Your provider will discuss them openly.
Moving and deployments
Before a PCS, field rotation, or deployment, plan supply and a handoff. Carry medicines in your vehicle, not the moving truck, and bring a printed medicine list to your next prescriber.
Teens and families
For patients 15 to 17, a parent or guardian helps make medication decisions. Your provider explains each medicine, what to watch for, and when to call.
Pregnancy and nursing
If you are planning a pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding, tell your provider early. Some medicines are better choices at these times, and stopping suddenly carries its own risks.
Retirees and long medicine lists
Retired service members often take medicines from several doctors for blood pressure, pain, and sleep. Your provider will review the whole list for interactions and for medicines that can cloud memory or raise fall risk.
Seasonal patterns
Colorado Springs gets plenty of sun, yet short winter days still drag some people down, and others feel wired and sleepless in long summer evenings. If your mood follows the calendar, your provider can plan a seasonal adjustment ahead of time.
Changing or stopping
If a medicine falls short, your provider may adjust, switch, or add. After several tries, GeneSight testing may help. To stop, your provider plans a gradual taper.
Reach out early if...
...you have thoughts of self-harm, a burst of energy with little sleep, a rash, fainting, or side effects that disrupt your life. In a crisis, call or text 988 (press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line) or call 911.
Guard and Reserve members
Colorado National Guard and Reserve members juggle civilian jobs with drill weekends and annual training. Medicine timing and supply need planning around those weekends, and some roles carry their own medical rules. Tell your provider your schedule.
Getting started
New patients begin with a psychiatric evaluation. Visit 102 S Tejon St. Become a patient without a referral.
Why Choose Colorado Springs Psychiatry and Mental Health?
- Board-certified psychiatric providers serving Colorado Springs and all of Colorado
- Research-backed treatment protocols
- Full documentation for all evaluations
- Coordinated care with your other providers across the region